Broken
by TicklePickle
Summary: A/U Somethings happening to Sookie. She's changing, scared about what it all means and in typical Sookie survival mode trying to hide it from the world. Set after DaG, but incorporating some elements from later books.
1. Chapter 1

Broken

Chapter 1

SPOV

Leaning against the door I sighed with relief, after taking a few deep cleansing breathes and willing my heart to stop pounding, I dropped my purse and wearily trudged through to the kitchen. Not for the first time had it crossed my mind that I really needed to stop with the double shifts, it's not that I didn't need the money but the phrase 'burning the candle at both ends' flashed like a neon sign at the fore front of my mind and I was fast approaching the line where something had to give, my health was starting to take a dive and no matter how many hot herbal baths I had taken, the aches in my muscles were deep and steadily getting worse. If I was being honest with myself I was barely functioning as a person anymore, I was a shell of my former self, had pushed all of my friends away and thrown myself into work as an excuse to try and forget. Oh what I wouldn't do to be able to forget what happened to me at the hands of Thing One and Two.

Moving round the table and perusing the contents of the fridge, nothing took her fancy, not that there was much in there to begin with. Glancing up at the clock on the wall I thought, another night and another meal missed.' The loss of appetite was beginning to show in her clothes, her 8-10 on a good day was beginning to becoming a 6-8 on a good day and today Sam had even mentioned the weight loss. Walking out of the kitchen, giving the answer machine a cursory glance on the way past and noticing it was flashing, indicating more messages. Stopping just for a second to hit the delete button and carrying on down the hall and into the bedroom where I flopped onto the bed face first and let the darkness take me.

Tap tap tap... tap tap tap... 'Urgghh, go away' she moaned into her pillow burrowing her face deeper and ignoring the annoying tap that had disturbed her blissful nothingness. The tapping got more persistent and eventually she dragged her head out of the pillow and glanced towards the window.

'I'm not letting you in, I don't want to talk to you and if you don't mind I'm trying to get some sleep.'

Dropping her head back down and rolling over to face the door, sending what she thought was a clear message to support her words. But now she was definitely awake and thinking, which was not good. Well her poor brain was fried and the constant stream of thoughts that came from outside the window pushed all of her own out of her head.

_Why is she closing herself off from everyone? Why won't she talk to me anymore? So worried about her, she doesn't look so good and Sam mentioned he's starting to worry too..._

The endless drone lasted a few hours while Bill hung around outside her house keeping watch over her. Her telepathy had certainly gone a bit haywire, but she was so scared and worried others would find out how broken her mind now was; no longer able to hear humans it appeared she could now only hear supes and she couldn't turn it off, her shields had been obliterated. So true to form she refused to think about it and buried her head in the sand, throwing herself in her into her work and trying desperately to ignore the fact that if anyone found out she wouldn't make it to the next sunrise. That morning was different though, as Bill's thoughts drifting off as he walked back to his house for the day, her own thoughts came rushing back to her. 'Something had to give', the phrase went round and round in her head like a mantra, 'Something had to give and it turned out it was my mind'. Just as the words floated to the front of her thoughts, she was once again swallowed by the blackness; both her body and mind no longer able to stay awake, after her frightening epiphany.

SPOV

I awoke with a start; there was a hazy mind at the front door, dragging myself out of bed, snagging my robe on the way to the door and trying to probe the hazy mind on the other side of the door as I walked to answer it, didn't shed any light on who the visitor was. _'Cant be too cautious'_, opening it just a crack I peeked out and was surprised to see Diantha on the other side. Today she was sporting a lime green leotard, orange tutu and hot pink tights; her hair was as pink as her tights with jet black chunks weaved through her choppy cut.

"", she thrust a letter at me, turned and dashed off into the woods.

Closing the door on the empty porch, I inspected the envelope, just my name was on the front in big elegant swirls, turning it over and grabbing the letter opener from the side table I began opened the letter while plodding to the kitchen, all the while my poor brain chanting, _'coffee coffee coffee' _on the way, after all who could deal with something obviously supe related without a much needed caffeine injection. Glancing at the clock on the wall before flicking on the coffee pot, I sagged into a chair at the old wooden table and began to read.

_Dear Miss Stackhouse,_

_I have several legal issues I would like to discuss with you. Would you please contact me on this number to arrange an appropriate time to meet. _

_Yours_

_D. Catalides_

Leaving the note on the table and filling a cup with warm liquid goodness I went out to sit on the porch swing to take in the early morning air and do some thinking. The gentle swing back and forth on the old porch swing while dragging a foot along the worn boards soothed something deep within the soul, reminding me of simpler times. It always seemed to help with centring myself and I allowed my mind to drift for a moment before it inevitably found the path that led to Eric Northman. Something had happened to our bond that fateful night with the fairies, the strong hum in the back of my mind was now more of a whisper, no longer did I feel the ping of energy that used to tingle down my spine when Eric woke up for the night. Something had broken and I had no idea how to fix it, where to start fixing it, or even if I wanted to fix it at all, I felt lost. Well more lost than I usually felt anyhow. I never really knew where I stood with myrelationship with Eric, but before she could linger too long on thoughts of the tall blonde and very lethal vampire she pushed them aside and began to focus on what the legal issues Mr C could want to discuss, while she waited for a more social able hour to make an appointment.

**A/N. This is my first dabble into writing, this idea has been bugging me for a while and I finally got it down. Please be kind in your criticism and let me know if you want more.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Charlaine Harris, I'm just borrowing them.**

**Chapter 2**

After ringing Mr C and arranging to meet at 2pm later that day, I hopped in the shower and began to get ready. I chose a pretty blue sundress with little white spots on and a sweat-heart neck line that was one of my favourites. Feeling slightly more prepared for the day I had in store, I headed to the kitchen to check on any last minute additions to my grocery list before I went out to complete my errands. I snagging the list from the fridge on my way past; did a quick mental scan which came back clear and bounced out of the door towards the car. It was noon by the time I'd got back home and it took me another hour to put everything away and make myself something for lunch. For some reason my appetite had come back and as I ate I realised that I didn't feel as lost and tired as I usually did. Perhaps it was because it was my first day off in weeks. Sam had insisted I take the next two days, even though I argued against it. I used money as my excuse while thinking to myself that it really was because I didn't want to be alone, if I was alone it was more likely that one of the people I had been avoiding would turn up. I had caught more than a few snippets of his thoughts during the conversation we had had in his office. He had spoken to Eric about me, about my odd behaviour and that he was worried about me.

To be truthful it wasn't that hard at work anymore, no longer having to keep the thoughts of the humans around me out, the supernatural traffic through the bar was minimal, which in some ways was much more relaxing, but then every time a were came in I'd tense up. Even though I pride myself on not showing emotion from the things I hear, it must really be noticeable. Far more noticeable than the crazy Sookie smile I plastered on my face when I heard something bad. I'd even caught a few of my customers giving me funny looks. But at least I could no longer hear what they were thinking, not that it was impossible to work out. 'What's up with Crazy Sookie' was pretty much written all over their faces.

What was draining my energy the most though was being in a constant state of fear. Fear that someone would find out, fear that I would be taken by some group or other to be used, abused and ultimately, fear of being killed for what I could now do. During the day it was easy to keep some form of normality, it was the night that was taking its toll. With at least one vampire in my woods every night was making it increasingly hard to sleep. Without the shields against the voices I could now hear with perfect clarity. I had to listen to the inner monologues of whoever was watching the house, keeping an eye on me for Eric. It was immensely tiring not to mention boring having to listen to them. The irony was not lost on me that it was perfect torture for a telepath; I though touching a strong broadcaster was bad before but that was a cake walk in comparison. If only Thing One and Two knew about it they could of broken me much quicker and more thoroughly.

The knock on the door accompanied by a static buzzing, shook me from my dark thoughts. Glancing at the clock I noted that it was two o'clock on the dot. Punctual as always Mr C, it dawned on me as I opened the door that I still heard the half daemon as static, I sighed mentally, I wasn't that broken after all.

"Mr C, How are you? Won't you please come in?" I smiled brightly and held the door open. I nodded my greeting to Diantha who was stood by their car. Instinctively knowing that she was guarding her uncle and wouldn't come in. Giving her a short wave I closed the door and directed Mr C to the living room, noting her was carrying a briefcase and had a rather serious face.

"Can I get you a drink? Sweet tea? Soda? Coffee?"

"No thank you Miss Stackhouse. I'd like to get straight down to business."

"Please call me Sookie; I have to say I was very surprised to hear from you." Yup; surprised, confused and worried at the sudden request from the daemon lawyer.

"There are several issues I had to speak to you about. I'll start with the easy ones first." Okay now I was beginning to panic, there were hard bits? He opened his briefcase and withdrew a stack of papers. Straightening them and retrieving a pen from inside his jacket pocket. He began to explain what was in front of him.

"When your Great Grandfather closed the portals, he came to me and gave me instructions to set up a trust fund for you. He seemed to feel rather guilty about coming into your life and getting you mixed up in his troubles. I have to say he left you a sizable amount and this." He reached back into his briefcase, pulled out a think cream envelope and handed it to me. I felt a tingle as soon as my fingers brushed the envelope and my name appeared on the front. I stared at it in shock, then looked up to Mr C. He smiled and nodded reassuringly. "Open it, I've been instructed to answer any questions you may have."

Slowly I turned it over and was surprised it was sealed with wax, I mean who seals letters in this day and age. Standing I walked to the table in the hall and retrieved the letter opener from the drawer. Gingerly sliding the blade under the seal, it made a small pop as it broke. I felt another tingle as I pulled the paper from within, unfolded it and began to read as I walked back my seat.

_My Dearest Sookie,_

_I feel I must apologise again for what happened. I dearly just wanted to get to know my Great Granddaughter and I'm sorry for making my enemies aware of you in the process. I had asked you several times if there was anything I could do for you, but now I have closed the portals the only thing I can think of is to give you some piece of mind. I've instructed Mr Catalides to consolidate some of my earthly assets and set up a trust fund for you. It is the least I could do for what your association with me has brought to your door. Furthermore I remind you again to be cautious, your Great Uncle Dermot could not be found before I sealed the last portal, in addition to him; some of the fae chose to stay behind and not all of them are particularly fond of my decision. I feel it's only right to give you fair warning of what could be heading your way. As much as it pains me to say it, the Viking will protect you if you let him. Try not to be too stubborn and listen to his advice, he has managed to keep himself alive for this long after all. You can also trust Mr Catalides; he is most trust worthy for a daemon and has looked after my legal dealings for some time. _

_As this will be the last time I contact you. I feel I should impart some information to you about what to expect from your heritage. I told you when we first met that you have the essential spark. I have never seen one so strong in one with so little fae blood. I'm a little uncertain how it will affect you, so I'll just outline a few general things that may come up to cover the basics so to speak. As you are aware the fae are long lived, your Grandfather as half fae with a strong spark was 300 when he was killed. Although your father didn't have the essential spark he certainly carried the allure trait very strongly, I could guess he would have lived at least to the age his father was when he died. You on the other hand are a bit of a mystery so little blood but such a strong spark, I'd have to give an educated guess and say perhaps 500 years give or take a few hundred. If you continue to exchange blood with the Viking, you could easily surpass that. I'm not sure how much Claudine told you about the fae or what you have gathered from other sources. Although we are fairly magical before we come of age, when we do mature our spark matures too and we gain the abilities associated with the fae. Some of the abilities you may encounter are teleportation, a kind of glamour we call charm, increased speed and heightened awareness. It is difficult to say what if any you will receive and it is impossible to know how your blood bond to the Viking will affect your spark as it matures. Not to mention your existing telepathy. I'm sorry to say I am still no closer to finding out how your gift came about._

_I am sorry that I cannot offer you guidance through your upcoming development and I am sorry again for not being able to do more for you in general. But know I have strengthened the wards around your house, I feel it is the least I could do now that you are known to so many of the supernatural community. I love you greatly blood of my blood, I only wished to know you better. You are such a fascinating creature. Truly unique, I'm sorry I will miss you develop, but I must think of my people._

_Your Great Grandfather_

_Niall_

I looked up from the letter and found Mr C smiling slightly. My mind was frozen in shock for a few seconds before the panic started to grow, I was going to live a long long time, I had more people out to get me than I thought, I was going to gain more freaky powers. How was I ever going to avoid the supe world for centuries? I started gasping, hyperventilating at the thought that I was going to become an even bigger target; I was going to outlive my friends. It was like the biggest fears of why I didn't want to become a vampire were happening regardless of being turned. Round and round my thoughts churned.

I finally came back to myself as Mr C patted my hand in a reassuring way. "I can see that the information in Niall's letter has left you reeling. May I just say that you are not alone and I'm sorry but you're going to have a few more revelations before were through."

I took a deep breath and willed the panic, fear and doubt to the back of my mind while I tried to focus on the next issue. But first I needed a drink; I needed to regroup, I could deal with all of the revelations later when I was alone. "I'm just going to get myself a drink, are you sure I can't get you anything?"

Seeing that I need the distraction he replied, "I'll take a sweet tea, thank you."

I wandered towards the kitchen in a bit of a daze, I mentally slapped myself. Get a grip Stackhouse, you have known you weren't entirely human for a while. You know that things have been happening to you. You know you have been changing. Stop trying to be something you're not; you're kidding yourself if you think your life doesn't have to change. Your stubborn ways got yourself kidnapped and tortured. This is your chance to get answers, you're going to have to drop the scarlet routine and think about it now not tomorrow. You're going to be around for a long time your going to have to learn how to protect yourself. Don't let yourself become a victim again. Take control and stop sticking your head in the sand. Feeling slightly better after my mental pep talk, I headed back to the living room with our drinks and smiled back at the daemon. "So, what's next?"

**A/N: Thanks to the people who sent reviews and added this to alerts. You should have seen how excited I was to get each and every one. My other half thinks I've finally lost my marbles, but at least he's stopped teasing me about reading what he calls 'vampire sex stories'. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"So, what's next?" I said as I placed the drinks on the coffee table and took my seat again. He looked thoughtful for a second.

"I think it would be best if you sign these papers first; they will give you access to your trust fund. Then I can try and answer any questions you have before we move on."

I tried to form my thoughts into some sort of order as Mr C pointed me to the relevant places to sign and initial the various documents. My mind was churning with so many questions and scenarios that the amounts barely registered. I took a deep breath and the daemon gave me an encouraging smile before I took the plunge and asked my first question.

"Am I in immediate danger?"

"Not at this time no."

"Is there anyone else I can trust to help me apart from Eric?"

"I too will help you if I can, I can also provide you with a short list of those that we consider neutral in supernatural affairs; that you can at least seek information from." Okay that sounds at least slightly helpful. Thoughts of Gran flashed through my mind, when he said neutral. She too tried to stay neutral, especially when me and Jason argued when we were growing up. She would always try to get us to see the both sides of the story; she had a real knack for it. I could really use her advice about now. But without her I had to take what advice I could and try and make an informed decision. Maybe these 'others' could fill in some of the blanks for me.

"What can I do to make myself safer?"

"Your Great Grandfather has already strengthened the wards around this house. So it will always be a safe haven for you. From what I can tell, no one who wishes you harm should be able to get within 100 yards of the property; that includes the porch and at least up to where you park your car. Think of it like the barrier that keeps vampires out of a home, but it will keep out both supernaturals and even humans I think. Anyone who wishes you harm."

Well that is certainly a relief; he smiled at me warmly and continued. "I would like you to think about learning to protect yourself. From what I understand of your life, you tend to get involved in a lot of skirmishes and situations. I think you would benefit from a more thorough education in certain fighting styles. I'm sure the Northman could help you with that, but if you will feel more comfortable, I can have Diantha show you a few techniques. She is quite a skilled fighter and I will be able to spare her for a few days."

"If you're sure it wouldn't be a bother, I'd like that very much."

He waved off my uncertainty and continued, "I'll have her come to you tomorrow morning to begin your training. Now I'm sure you have a few more questions but we have quite a bit more to go through and I would prefer to have this discussion remain private between us. This will be impossible if we go past sunset and your neighbour starts skulking around in your woods." He said neighbour with a certain amount of distain. Obviously he doesn't like Bill very much, but I guess at times I haven't particularly liked him much either; although his efforts in aiding my Great Grandfather rescuing me have put us more on an even keel. They seemed to have history between them; bad blood so to speak. I filed that away for later; perhaps there would be time to ask him about it.

He pierced me with a look and said in a serious tone. "I know your gift has changed." I did a double take and the look on my face must have been quite comical. He gave a slight chuckle and his mouth formed a toothy grin. Before I could stutter a response he continued.

"Before I get to that, I'd like to tell you a story. Many years ago I was friends with your Grandfather Fintan. After I had observed him with Adele, I could tell he loved her deeply. I wanted to honour my friend and his lover. I offered to give his descendants a gift. A gift that would manifest itself in those descendants with the essential spark, the gift I gave was that of telepathy. Fintan readily agreed to my gift, to have such an advantage over those that would do you harm or to get what you wanted out of a situation by hearing the thoughts of your fellow humans, he thought it was a marvellous gift.

I came to check on both your father and aunt when they were born, I was slightly disappointed to find they were quite normal, for although they had the fae allure they did not have the spark. Then when your brother and Hadley were born, I began to think that perhaps Fintan was destined to have no descendants with the spark and so my gift would be useless. A few years later you were born and I knew as soon as I held you that you were special. You had such a strong spark and you had certainly received my gift.

Your Grandmother was afraid I think. I tried to reassure her that it would be fine. Although looking in your mind I guess it has caused a lot of problems for you in your short life. I'm sorry for that. It was not my intention; perhaps I should have left some guidance to help you with your control. Forgive me my assumption that you would be the same as me and have inherent control. I am after all mostly daemon and having never given the gift of telepathy to another. Let alone a part fairy, I was unable to predict the outcome of my gift." He leaned forward to pick up his tea and quietly sipped allowing me to gather my thoughts on the matter.

"Is there a way to control it? I mean other than how I have been?" My curiosity was peaked, could I finally be able to function normally. Could Mr C be the answer to fixing my haywire telepathy?

He smiled knowingly and said, "But of course. It is quite simple really; take my hand and clear your mind." Taking his hand in mine, I closed my eyes and tried to centre myself, clearing my mind of questions for the time being. I was dying to see what he would have me do.

Our joined hands warmed, I felt the warmth travel up my arm and spread out over my body. My mind flashed and suddenly I knew exactly what to do. I knew the limits to my gift, I knew what I was capable of and most importantly I knew how to shield again. A wave of excitement rushed through me, as I opened my eyes I saw Mr C nodding at me.

"Thank you, I don't know what to say, I have been so lost in the sea of voices. I can finally have some peace if I chose." I finally remembered he said he knew about the changes to my gift and before the question formed on my lips he spoke again.

"Yes I know it has changed. I can read it from you, plus you are giving off an aura of fear and loathing that is rather strong. It wouldn't take much for anyone with heightened senses to notice you were hiding something. You'll have to work on locking down your emotions, not to mention your self-loathing. It's damaging you, causing you to lose energy needlessly." He gave me a pointed look; I blushed slightly and looked away.

"Can you tell me why it changed?"

"Unfortunately I don't think I can. Perhaps the maturing of your spark is to blame, or perhaps your recent torture; or perhaps it is simply how it was meant to develop in you. Like I said, I have never given the gift of telepathy before, who knows the effect your fae heritage has on it. It is after all a rare daemon trait. The knowledge I have imparted to you should help you control it regardless of who you can now hear. I suggest for your own safety that you keep the changes to yourself, although you should talk to the Northman. He should be informed if he is to help keep you safe and he may be able to come up with a plan as to what to tell the world about not being able to hear humans anymore. That seems to be the area you will have the most immediate problems from I think."

He wanted me to tell Eric my deepest secrets, it brought to mind the understanding we had yet to reach. Oh how I wasn't going to look forward to that, I internally agonised over the idea for a few seconds before the pragmatist in me won out. After all I had decided that I was trying to be more proactive with my safety and if that meant having a real heart to heart with Eric to get me the protection I needed then so be it. I just really didn't want to be the one to make the first move. Yeah that's really mature Sookie. I finally decided to just pull up my big girl panties and ring Eric when me and Mr C had finished.

"Most wise of you, Sookie" I blushed at his words. I obviously needed to work on my shielding around other telepaths at least I hadn't thought anything rude or particularly embarrassing. Mr C chuckled. "Yes it would probably be most helpful to you, if you learned to shield your mind more. You never know who might be listening." He winked at me and then began packing his papers back into his briefcase.

"I think I have taken enough of your time today and it is getting rather late. Here is your copy of your account details and the list I promised you. They will certainly give you information to protect yourself if you seek them out. You can contact me anytime on the number I gave you. It's my direct line; I'm sure you'll have more questions and perhaps need of my legal skills in the near future." And with that he picked up his things and walked to the door, calling over his shoulder. "I'll be sending Diantha over first thing in the morning, don't forget to make your phone call and remember that there will be unwanted ears in your woods not long after dark. Be guarded in what you disclose over an unsecured line."

I barely registered the door closing; I was trying to think of what to say to Eric. When did my life become like a spy movie? Phone taps, surveillance and enemies coming from every angle. I laughed softly to myself. Picking up the glasses from the table and walking towards to the kitchen. I tried to gather my courage to make the call that would inevitably change everything between me and Eric, I washed and rinsed the two glasses and glanced out of the window. The sun was still a fair way above the horizon; I had maybe an hour before sunset. I better make that call, at least I can leave a message for him. I'm not quite ready to face him yet. I dialled and listened to his outgoing message.

"Hi Eric... Um... Can you give me a ring when you get this? Thanks" After putting the phone down I went to my favourite thinking spot, the porch swing. I needed to gather my thoughts and decide what I needed to say to Eric and maybe do a little soul searching. I needed to decide how I wanted my life to plan out now I knew I'd be around for a while. I quickly got lost in my thoughts with the gentle back and forth of the swing; one foot tucked under me the other brushing the old worn boards beneath my feet.

**A/N: I have a few paragraphs of chapter 4 written so it shouldn't take long for me to get it finished. That is if you guys are still interested. Let me know what you think so far.**


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: I was a bit indecisive about including an Eric POV; please forgive me if I don't do the big guy justice, I tried my best. This one jumps about a bit time wise, but hopefully you'll see where I'm going with this._**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**EPOV**

Yet another mundane Tuesday night observing the masses, it was getting beyond tedious. I began to amuse myself by alternating my attention from my phone to the fragile connection I had with Sookie. I was at a loss as to why it felt so weak and brittle, it had only been a month since I gave her my blood and it was no small amount either. The bond should be practically buzzing. Strong, robust and far healthier than it was at present. I really needed to get out to Bon Temps and speak to her. Maybe being closer would change how it felt. I was just signalling Pam that I was leaving when my phone rang. What now? I didn't check the screen before answering, "Northman"

"Sheriff, I need the monthly reports for your area."

"Of course Victor, I'm just about to tend to them now; I still have 3 nights before the end of the month."

"Yes, well, I need them by sunset tomorrow. I'll be coming for them personally. Will I be graced with the presence of your lovely bonded? It has been sometime since I have seen her."

Gritting my teeth and holding back a growl, I answered; "Unfortunately she is still recovering from her injuries. I don't think she will be well enough to be here to meet you tomorrow."

"That is most unfortunate; I'm beginning to think you are trying to keep her from us Eric?"

I really didn't like where this conversation was going, trying to remain calm I replied evenly. "Of course not Victor, I have spoken to the King and given him an account of Miss Stackhouse's current health. His Majesty was particularly understanding of the situation and I quote; "_She is human after all and to be left at the hands of the renowned fairy torturers for a few hours takes a lot of recovery time both psychically and mentally_." He assured me, he wouldn't need my bonded until she is fully recovered."

I could almost feel his annoyance down the phone, but his tone remained even. "Yes well, I'll still be expecting those reports by sunset tomorrow." And with that he hung up.

I really didn't think I could stand this much longer, the guy was an asshole and the sooner he met the sharp end of a stake the better. I smiled at my little fantasy of ending Victor as I pocketed my phone and headed back to my office to finish those damn reports. I guess going to Bon Temps will have to wait.

At least I could keep Sookie away from the asshole for the time being but the King wouldn't be pacified with my excuses for long. I'll go to her tomorrow after I've finished with Victor. Hopefully I can get her to stay at my house for a few days so I can keep an eye on her myself if Victor is going to be sniffing around my area for a while. She won't be safe alone.

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**SPOV**

When I finally made it back inside, the documents on the table caught my eye. I still had roughly about 30 minutes till sunset so I had time to have a look through and see what 'Dear Granddaddy' left little old me. The legal mumbo-jumbo went straight over my head as I began to read it, I mean who actually understands this stuff? Why can't it be in plain English? I began to skim read it after the first few lines and eventually my eyes fell on the total of the trust fund. My eyes popped out of my head and if I was a cartoon character I'm sure they would have been flashing dollar signs. There is certainly no way I would be able to spend this amount in my lifetime. A small light bulb went off in the back of my mind. I no longer have a human lifetime. So I guess it could be an appropriate amount. Who am I kidding it's the most money I've ever seen outside the national debt.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine zeros! I felt like I was the Count from Sesame Street, except I was talking billions. Eight billion to be precise and growing from what I could understand of the way it had been invested and interest percentages. Wow! Just wow! Is it possible for your thoughts to flat line? I shook my head and tried to refocus on what I was doing. It was no use, my poor brain had had a huge shock and there wasn't much I could do with it till it decided to restart. So I stared at the wall until it came back online and practical Sookie took over.

Grabbing a pad and pen from by the phone I sat down at the kitchen table and began a list. Number one was repairs on the house. If this place was like Fort Knox in the magical sense, what with the wards that Niall had placed on it. Then I'd better get it in tip top condition. As much as I didn't want to get rid of the furniture that reminded me so much of Gran, it did seem a bit silly not to replace threadbare carpet and the fading wallpaper. Part of me was scared of having money and spending it but the other part was getting excited and carried away. I could finally put my stamp on the Stackhouse homestead. I looked around the kitchen and although it had been remodelled recently it could still do with some extras.

As I was musing about what I could change in the rest of the house, I had a brilliant idea. Why couldn't I have some of the more sentimental pieces refurbished instead? There was no reason why I couldn't keep the overall feel of the house and just disguise the extras. My mind wandered round a fictional farmhouse with secret doors and hidden tunnels hiding all sorts of goodies. My very own Bat cave, I chuckled and got back to the list. Perhaps Alcide would be able to come up with some plans for the remodel? He did pretty well with the kitchen. He might even come up with some suggestions as to what I can do with the place; he would at least know a decorator or two surely? I added him to my list of people to contact.

My train of thought was interrupted by a brain approaching the property line. I hadn't actually realised as I sat there that the sun had set and Bill had come to spy on me. It took me a moment before I realised I was sitting in the dark. I was sitting in the dark and I hadn't noticed. I could see everything just the same as in the light. Crap! I definitely wasn't all human anymore. I certainly shouldn't be able to read my list perfectly.

Before my brain went off on a tangent again; Bill's thoughts started hammering into my brain and for the first time since I couldn't turn off the voices, I used my new shields Mr C showed me. It was instant, blah blah blah then silence once again. I couldn't help myself I played around with my shiny new shields like a child with a new toy. It had been weeks since I could turn him off and I couldn't get over the ease I could lift and drop them now. It was like flicking a switch. While I was playing one of his thoughts slipped through.

"Cars there so she must be home… wonder why she's sitting in the dark…" Urgghh why can't he just leave me alone? It was beginning to feel like he was stalking me.

Something else to add to the list; a privacy hedge, maybe even a proper fence along the property line. At least then no one could watch me through the windows without climbing trees in the woods and I'd more likely be able to spot them if they did that. It's never been something I gave much thought to before, I had assumed living so far out of town gave me privacy; but then again with the amount of supes that seem to come sniffing around, it might be best if I could at least hinder their snooping. My mind wandered again when I thought about adding gates to the end of the drive and a keypad entry. Too much? Maybe. Maybe not. I really needed to ask someone about this kind of thing. I turned over the page and started a new list. This one was a list of questions to ask Mr C. He'd know how go about getting in touch with a security expert, I was sure of it. Just then the phone rang; a wave of anxiety hit me before I swallowed it back down to go answer it.

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_**A/N: Just a warning but chapter 5 might take me a while. Well longer than the gap in previous chapter updates anyway. I have a few paths for this story to take at this point and I'm trying to pick one I like enough to follow. Let me know what you think of this one anyway.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Disclaimer: All characters belong to Charlaine Harris, I'm just borrowing them.**

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**Chapter 5**

Still fighting the anxiety that threatened to swallow me whole, I answered cautiously; "Hello?"

"Hey Chere, sorry to call you on your day off but I just thought I'd give you a heads up. There was a Were here asking about you. Hadn't seen him before, so thought I'd give ya a call so you could keep an eye out in case he comes your way."

"Thanks Sam, did he say what he wanted me for?" I knew it was a fruitless question but I still asked it anyway.

"Nah, stayed for a while though and you know what the gossips are like in here, I'm sure someone bent his ear while I was busy. You know I wouldn't give out any information on you. Listen I better go the orders are backing up, if you want me to swing by later and take a sniff around I can do. Ain't no problem."

"Aww Sam you don't have to come all the way out here. I'm sure Eric will have someone in the woods watching over me at some point tonight, so even if that Were does come here. He'll find out I'm not unprotected."

"Okay Chere, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Sam" Hanging up the phone I was about to do a quick scan for brains when there was a knock on the door. I stood stock still for a few seconds while I flicked my shields off and found a familiar vampire brain on the other side. A smile slowly tugged at my mouth and I did a quick pat down of myself to take in my appearance. Hmm still mostly put together, I quickly finger combed my hair on the way to the door and threw it open to find Eric facing the woods. He turned slowly when he realised I was watching him cautiously.

"Hello Lover"

"Hi" I stood there holding the door, while I admired the view that was Eric Northman. He was dressed in his trade mark jeans and Tee, it was then I realised how long it was since I had seen him last. I had definitely missed him more than I thought I had.

I came back to myself as he chuckled; "See something you like?"

I instantly blushed from tip to toe and looked down bashfully as I stood to the side and invited him in. God I was so embarrassed I'd been caught staring at him. I peaked at him through my lashes as he walked past me into the sitting room. I lowered my shields again and was surprised to find he was thinking in another language. Well that was a pleasant surprise; even if I didn't have shields at least I wouldn't know what he was thinking. I don't know why I had never thought of it before now, I already knew that humans think in their native language it just never occurred to me that Vampires would too. Of course it didn't occur to you Sookie; you didn't hear vampires before. Hey if they think in their native language how come I've heard Eric think in English before?

I'd obviously zoned out completely as I internally debated in the ins and outs of multilingual thoughts. Eric was back in front of me and gently shaking me.

"Sookie? Are you ok?"

"Yeah sorry Eric, I zoned out there for a second. What did you say?"

"I said. I got your message; I'm rather interested to hear what you wanted to talk about." He smiled at me and gestured to the sofa indicating that we should probably sit. Just as I was walking past him to sit on the other end of the sofa he engulfed me in hug so tight I was almost afraid he'd crack a rib.

"Not so tight Eric. I need to breathe you know."

I felt his check vibrate as he chuckled and loosened his grip just slightly, "I'm sorry Lover. I have missed you. How are you feeling? Are you healed completely?"

I smiled back at his enthusiasm and answered that I was indeed healed and other than being quick to tire was feeling much better. He seemed to look me over questioningly, and then nodded his head as if I measured up to his assessment of me. I decided it was now or never to tell him all the things he needed to know about me. Just as I opened my mouth to blurt it out, I remembered what Mr C had said about walls having ears. I closed my mouth and held up a finger while I did a through scan of the surroundings. Eric raised an eyebrow at me but stayed quiet.

I could just hear Bill in the woods; close enough to hear our conversation no doubt. As my attention came back to Eric I smiled and put my finger to my lips and walked to the kitchen to retrieve my pad and pen. Sookie super spy, I giggled as I came back and started writing out on the pad that I had some important things to tell him, that I had been told that is was wise to keep it private and that we had an audience in the woods. Did he have anywhere we could go that would be completely private?

Surprisingly Eric went along with my little game of super spy. Taking the pen and paper from me he smiled and wrote. _Pack a bag I'll take you to one of my safe houses_. I nodded and headed off in the direction of my bedroom to pack a few things.

I was bent over my dresser picking out my under things when I felt him come up behind me. Wrapping his arms round my waist he bent down and said in barely a whisper, "Wear something comfortable, we will be flying; it's harder to be followed." Then he said a bit louder; "I love these" pulling out a red pair of French knickers, "you'll have to wear these for me soon." He waggled his eyebrows at me and I bust out laughing, snatching them from his hand and routing out the matching bra before I put them in the bag. I really did love the playful side of Eric.

It hadn't taken me too long to get my things together and change into something more comfortable. We were in the air and flying towards Shreveport before I could blink. The wind whipped around us as we flew and I snuggled myself deeper into Eric's chest and closed my eyes so I didn't have to see how high we actually were. I happily let my mind wander and it didn't take long for me to realise I still couldn't feel Eric through our bond even being so close to him. Definitely something to add to the talk we were going to have. Maybe he was blocking it from his end or perhaps Thing One and Two really did break something inside me. I shuddered at the thought of the fairies and nuzzled Eric's chest taking in his scent, finding it relaxed me somewhat and helped to refocus my thoughts to a less distressing avenue.

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Eventually we began our decent and touched down in a clearing. As he released me I managed to take in my surroundings. We were on a gravel driveway facing the most gorgeous ranch style house I had ever seen. It had a wrap around porch and two huge windows facing the driveway. It just seemed to fit so perfectly in the backdrop of the woods.

"Come" Eric said as he walked in the direction of the door. I stood for a moment, breathing in the woodsy scent wafting from my surroundings before I happily followed him. "Can I get a tour before we start? Your house is very beautiful."

"I don't see why not." He took my hand as he pushed the door open and stepped into the entryway. "Stay here I'll put the light on for you."

Not wanting to get into the conversation about me so quickly I chose to ignore the fact that I could see perfectly in the dim light, so I just mumbled a thank you and tried not to make it obvious that I could see my surroundings. He let go of my hand for a second and then we were instantly bathed in light. The hallway was quite large and had several doors leading off it. He heeled his boots off and then bent down to take mine off too. Okay, rules of the house number one: Take your shoes off at the door. Check. I smiled down at him as he began his tour. "Is it alright if I just show you the ground floor for now? I'm anxious to begin our talk; I too have things I wanted to talk to you about. I can show you upstairs if we have time later."

"Yes that's fine" I caught a slight look of surprise flash across his face before he went back to his usual stoic expression. He must have expected a different answer from me. I just smiled back at him and made an 'after you' gesture with my hands. He led the way and opened the first door on the left, stepping to the side and allowing me into the room. "This is the sitting room" It was painted white with a large dark leather sofa and a huge fireplace. There were a few paintings on the walls some abstract and some landscapes, it was quite an eclectic collection but it seemed to work quite well. He smiled and closed the door to move on,

"This is what would be the dining room I suppose, I've never used it."

I peeked round the door and it was just a large empty room with light blue walls, the only adornment were the navy and cream curtains at the window. I turned to him and he just shrugged with a lopsided smile. I guess you don't really have company in a safe house all that often. We moved on to the next room which appeared to be his office. The rich walnut desk dominated the room, the walls were painted a lovely forest green and all along one wall was a bank of blank screens. I must have had a puzzled expression on my face when I saw the screens, as he explained, "the screen are from cameras both surrounding the property and at Fangtasia." I smiled broadly at him and we moved on to the kitchen. It took my breath away at how beautiful it was. A housewife's dream it looked like it was straight out of a show home in those magazines you find at the dentist office. All stainless steel and black marble worktops, with a double sink and the stove in central island. It shone in the light like only a brand new unused kitchen can.

I was certainly a little jealous of how nice it was in here; oh how I'd love to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for all my loved ones in here. I made a mental note to do something similar with mine at home. But now we were at the end of the tour and Eric lead me back to the sitting room and we got comfortable at opposite ends of the sofa. I fought the urge to tuck my legs under me like how I'd normally sit at home, and opted just to put one knee up and turned to face Eric. It gave me a small bit of comfort knowing that I could move quickly if I needed too, even if I didn't have a cat in hells chance at out running a vampire. All the same knowing I could move quickly if I needed too made all the difference.

While I was getting my thoughts together, I noticed that Eric had mirrored my pose although he had stretched out his arms across the back of the sofa in a typical dominate the room pose that men tend to opt for.

"Umm, I'm not actually sure where to begin with my little tale. I guess I should start with what happened today."

"That could be a good starting point." He chuckled and gave me a warm smile, encouraging me to continue.

"I had a visitor today; Mr Cataliades came to see me." His eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. I swallowed and carried on thinking the best thing was to just blurt it out in one go. The tension I was filling the room with would certainly become unbearable soon and certainly didn't go unnoticed, he reached over and patted my leg.

"He came to give me some things from my Great Grandfather. One was a letter and the other was a trust fund. It's probably easier if you read the letter then I can tell you the rest." I pulled the letter out of my jeans pocket and handed it to him. He gave me an odd look and started reading. It didn't take him long to read it, he glanced up at me at certain points and I could probably guess which bits they were. When he finished he went to say something but stopped and closed his mouth again. I took that as my queue to carry on with my explanation.

"I found out that Mr C and my Grandfather were old friends, he did some blood magic and that's how I ended up being a telepath. He helped me with some control issues I was having." My hands were getting clammy and I licked my nips nervously.

"What kind of issues?" He seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'd lost my shields." I looked down at my hands and took a deep breath before I let him get another word out I blurted. "Something had broken in my mind. I…I… can't hear humans anymore. I…erm…I…canonlyhearsupes." I rushed the last bit and closed my eyes bracing myself for the impact of his attack.

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**A/N: As always please review and let me know what you guys think, that is if your still reading :) I'm already beavering away at the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm doing better than I thought with updating. It's been a slow week at work so I've been able to sneak in a bit of writing during the day. I just wanted to say thanks to all those who have reviewed. They are my own personal cat nip and encourage me to write faster.**

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**Chapter 6**

**EPOV**

I awoke as usual an hour before sunset; I had stayed at Fangtasia so I could be here when Victor came for his reports. I hoped he wouldn't keep me too long, I wanted to get out to Bon Temps tonight so I could get Sookie to talk to me. Perhaps I could persuade her to stay with me for a few days. I laughed to myself at the thought of Sookie actually listening to anything I have to say. She really does have very little self preservation. Then again maybe nearly dying this last time might have changed her. As was becoming part of my wake up routine; I probed my bond with Sookie. Still just a weak buzz, letting me know she still lived but nothing more. I was more determined than ever to find out why it was so weak. I mentally flicked through the rolodex of contacts that could possibly have an answer. There weren't many that knew about blood bonds and blood magic. Certainly no one I could trust with such sensitive information. If De Castro or even Victor knew how weak our bond was currently they could easily take her and I doubt I would be able to track her. No it was not a possibility to ask around so openly. It would have to be done very discreetly. Perhaps I could send Pam to the Amun Archives? No, that wouldn't work; we would surely need a plausible reason as to why we were looking in there.

Rising from the bed, I unlocked the door and headed for my office. I had some preparations to see to before Victor's arrival. I checked my voicemail while I waited for the computer to boot up. Just one message, well that is a surprise there are usually at least 5 or 6 minimum. Even more surprising it's from Sookie. A broad grin spread across my face as I listened to the message. She must be home tonight if she wanted me to call her. I know how much she detests getting calls while she's working. Well that will work fine with my plans for later. I quickly scan my emails to make sure nothing is urgent. I ponder some more on who I can help with my bond questions. A slight knock on the door interrupts my musing, it seems Victor has arrived. Well hopefully this won't be too tedious.

* * *

I still can't believe how easy it was to get Sookie to stay with me. I could tell there is something going on with her. She has an air about her; less naïve and certainly more aware of her surroundings. She is certainly changing. Her fae side is getting stronger and it seems to be bringing out a more practical side to her. She flummoxed me when she implied walls have ears; she knew Bill was noising around in the woods. I'm beginning to feel quite honoured that she is showing trust in me. It wasn't so long ago that she resented my help and seemed suspicious of anything I did in regards to her.

To say I was shocked when I read the letter from Niall would be an understatement. I mean I could tell something had changed about her, but to have it confirmed that she was indeed changing was unbelievable. The fae are notorious for being tight lipped and rarely shared any information freely. The old coot must feel incredibly guilty for his part in dragging her into his problems. At least there is the fact that she will be less fragile if her fae side is getting stronger, she will be able to protect herself at least against some Supes. Which I suppose will make all our lives easier.

I certainly didn't like the fact that she got nervous, the stench of fear was repugnant mixed with her natural sweet scent. I smiled trying to reassure her, reaching out to pat her leg. Encouraging her to continue with what must be very difficult for her to say.

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**SPOV**

Silence

No fangs ripping out my throat. No yelling. No nothing. It stretched on for what felt like hours but was probably no more than a few minutes. Slowly I unfurled the foetal position my body had taken instinctively to protect itself. I stole a glance at Eric while keeping my movements slow and deliberate trying not to trigger any predatory reaction. He was still, as still as only a vampire can get and his face was locked down tighter than I'd ever seen it. He shifted slightly as I moved more. My instincts were screaming at me to get as far away from the predator as possible. My heart rate had increased and adrenaline was pumping through my veins. I was entering flight or fight mode but I stood my ground and I tried to calm down.

Taking a deep breath I flicked my shields off and tried to get something from his thoughts to clue me into his state of mind. They were moving so fast; words, feelings, colours, pictures. I pulled out as quickly as I could so as not to get too overwhelmed. I tried to analyse what I had seen, I couldn't get much it was defiantly in his native language though, and the colours were shades of grey and that's a surprise, purple. Huh not a colour I'd associate with anger and the pictures were so fast I couldn't really make them out at all, just random shapes really. No help there then, I'd have to draw him out the old fashioned way.

"Eric?" I tentatively called his name. No response.

"Eric!" He stirred slightly. That was good he's at least slightly responsive. I tried a third time, tempted to give him a little shake, not sure how he would react I stilled my hand a few inches from him.

"Eric!" Eventually he came back to himself, shaking his head slightly.

"I'm sorry Sookie; I certainly wasn't expecting you to say that." His voice was quiet and calm. I couldn't even distinguish any emotion from the bond at all. He cleared his throat and started to speak again.

"Can I just clarify what you mean by Supes?" His voice was still calm, but at least it hadn't gone to the scary calm one he does.

"Erm… Pretty much all of those I've come into contact with." He gestured for me to elaborate further. "Weres and vampires so far, I could still only get a buzzing from Mr C and I haven't seen any fairies since Niall closed the portals but I guess I did get more from him than I used to. Not quite thoughts though colours, kinda like an iridescent bubble. I wasn't trying to read him at the time though so I might be able to get more out of him if I focused." I watched him carefully as I explained, waiting for any sudden movements.

"And you can't hear humans at all anymore?"

"Nope" I was beginning to tense again, I didn't like this calmness, it made me uneasy.

He was quiet again for a few minutes and then he pulled his hone out and dialled a number. Holding a finger up to silence me as I opened my mouth to ask what he was doing.

"I have a problem… Yes, if you wouldn't mind." He ended the call and I tried to ask what was going on. He shook his head silencing me again. The silence between us was broken with a 'pop' and Dr Ludwig was stood in front of us.

"Well? What can I do for you? No body is bleeding so it can't be that urgent." She turned and dropped her bag on the coffee table.

Eric looked at me and then addressed the small doctor. "It appears there is something wrong with Sookie's telepathy."

It appeared that pragmatic Eric had taken over, much better than scary Eric but on a par with high handed Eric. I really wasn't happy about the unscheduled doctor's appointment. But trying to see the silver lining of the situation at least I might get a reason why it had happened.

"Well what's wrong with it?" She barked in my direction.

"Erm… I can't seem to hear humans anymore, it's kinda reversed itself and I can only hear Supes." I still felt nervous about telling anyone about the change. The less people that knew the better in my opinion.

"Which ones are you hearing now?"

"Weres and vampires, I still just get a buzzing from daemons and I get a bit more from fairies. I've not come into contact with any others."

She gave me a questioning look, "Can you read me?"

Taking a deep breath I let go of my shields and focused on the tiny doctor's mind. I could certainly sense something but they weren't what you would call normal thoughts. They were like the same bubble that I felt from Niall but instead of just one there were several in a cluster and they weren't iridescent either they were tinged green. They were certainly the oddest thing I've come across.

"I can't read your thoughts exactly but I'm getting a cluster of green tinged bubbles. I'm sorry but that's the only way I can describe them." The small doctor was silent for a minute while she pondered my words. Slowly she nodded to herself, like she had come to some conclusion.

"Okay, lie back on the sofa and let's take a look at you." I followed her orders and she preceded with the short examination, consisting of looking in my eyes, ears, checking my nails and putting her hand on my chest.

"Well isn't that something." She remarked in surprise.

"What? What's something?" I began to panic slightly and Eric once again reached out and stroked my hand to comfort me.

"That's a mighty strong spark you've got there little girl. You need to take better care of it and of yourself. You're showing signs of exhaustion. I'd recommend a week in bed, a good protein rich diet and try to avoid lemons and iron rich food." Picking up her bag it seemed she was done with us. I was very confused; she had blatantly ignored our concerns about my telepathy and clearly she wasn't going to share any other information. Damn Supes!

"So what do you think is wrong with my telepathy?" I asked before she could leave.

She huffed at my persistence. "Well from what I can tell, it appears to be a natural progression to your ability. You know it's not a fae trait." She looked at me pointedly before she continued. "Your fae heritage obviously has had some effect on it. Being that your spark is beginning to mature and you'll be coming into your fae gifts sometime soon. This seems to be the first of many changes you'll be going through. Do you have anyone to guide you as they appear?"

I shook my head and looked down. No I had no one to help me, I could feel myself slipping into my own little pity party at being alone and abandoned by my kin. It was like a darkness coming over my mind.

"Stop that right now." She gave me a swift tap to my leg that brought me right out of the dark spiral I was heading into. I looked at her shocked that she had hit me.

"Northman, you're going to have to keep an eye on her if she's going to nose dive into depression. Fae need contact with other fae or they wither away. At the very least they shouldn't be left alone; I'll see what I can do about finding another fairy for you to spend some time with. It should help stabilise your moods. In the mean time, stay around people as much as you can. It will make you feel better. Call me if any gifts materialise in the meantime." And with that she popped out.

I looked at Eric; he seemed deep in thought again. "Eric?" I could feel the tears bubbling up, stinging my eyes and threatening to fall. It was all too much, I never wanted to be anything but normal and now it seemed I'd never get my version of normal back. How were we going to deal with the rest of the Supe world now? I was so well known as a 'Human' mind reader?

Finally the first tear spilled over the edge and it was soon followed by another and another. My tears snapped Eric out of his thoughts; he sat next to me and wiped them away with his thumb. "Don't cry Sookie." He said softly.

"But what are we going to do? How are we going to hide it?" I turned and sobbed into his chest.

"I'm not sure yet, but don't worry I will think of something." He gently stroked my hair, giving me the comfort I needed. While I cried for my old life and how I'd never be any where near normal ever again.

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**A/N: This chapter was getting a bit too long so I had to end it there. We still have the bond talk and the beginnings of a plan of action to come. As always let me know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm not entirely happy with this chapter but I'm posting it anyway. Thanks for all your reviews and please let me know what you think of this one too. I promise it gets better, it's just taking me a while to build up to the good stuff.**

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**Chapter 7**

**SPOV**

I gradually came back to awareness, I was in a bed and my head was pounding. Shifting slightly I managed to turn my head to the left without too much discomfort. I had clearly cried myself into further exhaustion and been put to bed. Although the room I was in was dark I could see much more than I should have been able to. Suddenly I became aware of my pressing human needs, swinging my legs off the bed I slowly pushed myself up trying not to jolt my head too much and cause further pain. The emotional overload had certainly taken its toll on my exhausted body, I thought my body ached just a few short days ago but I was so wrong. This was much worse; the ache was deep and everywhere. Emotional hangovers always seem much worse than actual hangovers.

Getting up from the bed I swayed slightly as a wave of dizziness washed over me causing me to lean on the wall to steady myself. After it had subsided, I carefully padded across the room in search of a bathroom. There were 3 doors in this room one of them must be a bathroom surely. It was the second one I tried that was the bathroom, the first being the door to the hallway. Well at least I knew my way out now. After finishing my more pressing business, I went ahead and took a shower, washing away the dried tears from my face and neck.

Feeling rather more invigorated after my shower, I went back into the room in search of my bag. I found it next to the third door, which I peeked my head in to just to satisfy my curiosity. It was an empty closet. Eric certainly didn't use this safe house often, if at all. Maybe it was a new one and he hadn't had much time to put his own stamp on it. Perhaps I'd ask him later about it, once we had gone through everything else we needed too. I groaned just thinking about how much we had to cover tonight and then remembered that I was working the early shift tomorrow, I needed to call Sam and ask for some time off. As much as I hated to leave him shorthanded, I really needed to sort my life out and the thought of gaining a new ability in the middle of my shift in front of God and everybody broke me out in a cold sweat. Yes it was probably better for all concerned that I kept to myself for a while.

Leaving the room, I went in search of the kitchen and a much needed glass of water. My headache was now a more manageable dull throb and I could probably handle my usual caffeine injection without making it worse. A sudden thought hit me as I made my way down the stairs I bet Eric doesn't have any coffee or food for that matter. Well I'd just have to deal with it and hopefully we could go out when he woke up and get me some staples. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the fridge to find that it had more than blood in it. There was milk, eggs and a loaf of bread. I opened the cupboard next to it and found plates and cups, I opened the next one and found coffee. I did a small happy dance and began my hunt for a coffee pot. It didn't take me long to track one down and soon I was sat at the table with some eggs and a cup of some very nice coffee, it wasn't a brand I had tried before but it was dark, rich and perfect. I may have to change my normal coffee at home for this stuff.

After my breakfast I went in search of my purse, I was rather surprised to find Eric had left a note on top of it.

_Sookie,_

_I know you had a lot to deal with last night, please make sure you eat something today. I don't think you ate last night and Dr Ludwig said you needed to take care of yourself. I know it's probably too much to expect you to stay in bed and rest like you're supposed to. But perhaps you can get comfy on the sofa in the sitting room and watch a movie. I have a somewhat eclectic collection of DVDs at this house, so I'm sure you will find something. I'll be with you as soon as I can and we can begin to form a plan of action. It might be a good idea to get in contact with Mr Cataliaides and arrange a meeting between the three of us. We will certainly need some legal advice in regards to your new situation. Tomorrow or the next night will be good and this house will probably be better than your own home or Fangtasia as a matter of security._

_Until sunset Lover_

_E_

I tried not to be annoyed about being reminded to take care of myself, but if I was honest with myself I had forgotten meals on more than one occasion in the last few weeks and I guess if I was changing I'd need more nourishment. Kind of like how a teenager eats huge amounts to fuel their bodies through puberty, I suppose this is the same thing. I'm going through fae puberty; let's hope it's not as awkward and embarrassing as human puberty. Who am I kidding of course its going to be as bad, probably worse with magic involved and no one can tell me what I'm going to be able to do either.

As I washed up my breakfast dishes, I thought it would probably be a good idea to make a list of things I wanted to talk to Eric about tonight. I'd need something to write it on so I headed on back to Eric's office and found a legal pad and a pen in the top drawer of his desk. Taking his advice I went and got comfy on the sofa, he had put a quilt over the arm at some point after he had put me to bed last night. I snuggled in to it, making myself a little cosy nest and flicked the TV on for a bit of background noise.

There were several things I thought were pretty important for us to talk about. Namely to do with dealing with the King who I guess wouldn't be best pleased to find out his prize telepath could no longer read humans. I knew my ability to read Supes was going to remain private, so I was just going to be a worthless human to him now. I wonder if I can get some sort of protection conferred on me so the vamps won't try to kill me. Hmm it may be the best thing to happen to me after all. If I'm no longer useful I won't be coveted and no one will try to steal me or kill Eric to get to me. I brightened at the thought and jotted that down. I also noted down if there was anything special we were going to do about making sure my secret remained secret.

After checking the time on my phone, I decided to make my calls. First I rang Mr C who was as polite and friendly as ever. We arranged to meet tomorrow night at 7 and I insisted on making dinner for us both while we discussed everything. Next on my list of calls was to Sam, it rang several times before Arlene answered; "Merlottes"

"Hi Arlene its Sookie, is Sam there?"

"Hey Sookie, He's out back, I'll just get him." I could hear her yelling for him in the background. After a few minutes he came to the phone;

"Hey Chere, what can I do for ya?"

"I just wanted to ask for some time off, there's a lot of stuff going on with me right now and to be honest its probably best if you try and find a replacement for me. I don't want to get into it too much, but I have quite a few people looking for me and I'd hate to put anyone else in danger for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm just too easy to find at the bar. I'm sorry Sam." It wasn't until I had actually voiced some of my major worries that my situation became more real. I mean how many times had people tried to find me at the bar or asked the towns folk about me. Giving my, I suppose I would call them enemies, vital information on my personal life and comings and goings. Sam's reply shook me from my thoughts.

"What kind of stuff? I know you've been acting pretty strange these last few weeks and what will you do for money? You been dragged into more vamp bullshit?" He sounded frustrated, angry even, I swallowed before answering him.

"I'm sorry Sam, I just can't tell you. It's a matter of my safety and the less you know the better." I felt really bad about not being able to tell him anything.

"It's not just the vampires Sam. Don't blame them. Eric is doing everything he can to protect me"

"God Damn it Sookie, you need to get out from under their bullshit. The Supe world is dangerous for a human, get in too deep and you'll get yourself killed." Now it was my turn to get frustrated with him. How dare he pass judgement on my life? Last time I checked he was part of the Supe world too. A strong surge of anger bubbled up from deep within my chest and I couldn't stop the words coming out of my mouth.

"You listen to me Sam Merlotte, I'm not exactly human and neither are you! Yes I didn't ask to be dragged into the Supe world but I'm in it and there isn't much I can do about it but make myself as safe as possible. If that means attaching myself to a vampire like Eric Northman then so be it. I'm fed up of people telling me what's best for me. Well I'm taking control of my life and I think my safest bet is with Eric who happens to have a thousand years of experience at keeping himself alive and since he met me has done a pretty good job of keeping me alive too. I think you should find yourself another waitress, I quit!" Before he could reply, I ended the call and threw my phone at the wall. I had never felt so angry, it really wasn't like me to feel anger this strongly. It took me a few minutes but I realised I was glowing slightly.

Well shit. Now I'm glowing like a night light. I did the only thing I could in this situation. I laughed. I'm fucking glowing, now all I needed was wings and pointy ears and I'd be a regular Tinkerbell. I mentally patted myself on the back at my decision of not being in public for a while, who knows what kind of trouble I'd of been in if I'd started glowing in front of humans. My anger was beginning to fade but the glow was not. If anything it seemed to get slightly brighter. God I hope this is just a temporary thing. I resigned myself to waiting the last hour or so until sunset glowing like a neon sign. At least Eric should get a laugh out of it. Snuggling down further into my little makeshift nest, I thought about what else I needed to add to my list of questions. While I waited for Eric.

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**So the new powers are being to show themselves. This chapter turned into a bit of a filler chapter, I promise the next one has more bite to it. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: ****Disclaimer All characters belong to Charlaine Harris, I'm just borrowing them for a while.**

**Here's the next update, hope you like it.**

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**Chapter 8**

**SPOV**

The slight click of a door closing was all the warning I received before Eric launched himself over the back of the sofa to join me.

"That's a great look you've got going on there. Got anything less conspicuous?" He said with a broad grin. I turned slowly to look him in the eye and said with as much seriousness as I could muster.

"As a matter of fact, I have." I grinned right back at him as I showed him my new trick. I'd spent the last half hour playing with my glow, trying to tone it down a bit. All I managed was to change the colour. So now instead of glowing a warm yellow I was glowing a cool blue. I'd also managed a pale green glow about 10 minutes before Eric came in the room.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Impressive"

"Yeah it would be even more impressive if I could turn it off. I can't go out in public like this, I think we should call Dr Ludwig" I whined.

"What were you doing when it started? That may give us some idea as to what this actually is." He waved his hand in the air indicating my current glow.

"I was making some phone calls; Mr C is coming over for dinner tomorrow at 7 by the way. And I was asking Sam about time off, I didn't really tell him anything as to why I wanted the time and he blew up at me about getting involved in vamp bullshit, you know, his usual MO. So I kinda lost my temper with him and basically told him he was being a hypocrite, as neither of us are exactly 100% human and both of us are part of the Supernatural world whether we liked it or not." I explained in a bit of a rush, although the next bit I said quietly while bracing myself for the rush of emotion at Eric finally getting his own way.

"I quit and hung up on him" A wide grin spread across Eric's face at my statement.

"I was gonna quit anyhow, now I have my trust fund and all. Plus with all the Supes that seem to constantly be after me, it's only a matter of time before any of the customers get caught in the cross fire. I tried to explain that to Sam but he was so far into his righteousness rant, that I don't think he really grasped that part of the conversation." I sighed, sadness washing over me at the thought of my lost friendship.

Eric's chuckle brought me out of my wallowing. "I think I understand what's making your glow change. It appears to be linked to your emotions, your anger triggered it and then when you got sad just now, your glow changed to a deep blue."

"Great I'm a god damn mood ring!" I huffed. "Best call the hobbit and see if she can fix me, I'd ring her myself but I smashed my phone." I knew I was taking my bad mood out on Eric but I couldn't help it, it was like a compulsion. Plus I could really do without Dr Ludwig's own brand of snark right now.

"We are going to have to work on your control issues I think. If you are not in control of your emotions who knows what your spark will unleash." He looked down at me kindly and pulled out his phone to call the small doctor. Not trusting my mouth not to say anything else I didn't really mean, I just nodded at his opinion of my behaviour.

I stayed quiet while Eric was on the phone with the doctor. I was trying not to call her a hobbit in my mind in case I ever slipped up and called it her to her face, shuddering at the thought. I tuned my mind back to their conversation, she said to rest, eat plenty and she'll get the fairy guide out to me tomorrow. Basically everything she said the night before. After he ended the call, Eric stood up and left the room. He came back a few minutes later with a chicken sandwich.

"You must eat Sookie. Your spark is consuming your body's energy stores; if you don't replenish them you will become ill." He smiled kindly as he handed over the plate.

"I know Eric; I don't know why I'm so snappy. I really don't mean to be, I'm sorry and thank you for making me something to eat." I wasn't particularly hungry but as soon as the sandwich reached my lips I felt ravenous and devoured the whole thing in just a few minutes.

"Did you eat at all today?" He laughed at my very unladylike display. I grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the kitchen, that sandwich had certainly broke the dam on my appetite. "For you information, yes I did eat today. I'm sure it's just the glow causing me to be hungrier." I said over my shoulder as I rummaged in the fridge to find something else to eat. Pulling out sausage, bacon and eggs, I was in the mood for breakfast. No idea why but that's what my body craved so I went with it. Eric casually leaned against the counter and watched me cook.

When my food was ready I plonked myself down in the nearest chair and began to dig in. After a minute or two, I thought it was high time I got the ball rolling and started asking some questions.

"Eric?" I smiled sweetly.

"Yes Sookie"

"Do you think you could get my pad from the sitting room? I have a mountain of questions to ask you." Taking another bite of eggs, I watched him vamp out of the room and back again. I found myself thinking that would be a really useful gift to have. Not like this stupid glow I had going on right now.

Pointing at the pad I gestured for him to read my notes while I finished eating.

"Which point would you like me to answer first?" He asked, while he continued to read.

"Erm… I think my main worry is what we're going to do about me not being a human mind reader anymore. I mean we have to come up with some kind of story to spin to everyone." I was truly worried about what we would say and getting everyone to believe it. Finally he sighed and looked back up at me.

"Honestly Sookie, I'm hoping to use your recent torture as the main excuse and getting Dr Ludwig to collaborate with us, giving strength to our story. It'll take some work to tie up any loose ends, but it's certainly a topic for us to discuss with Mr Cataliades tomorrow." He smiled at me before he continued, "We will come up with something and I will protect you, I just need you to trust me."

Reaching over and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I trust you Eric, I just want to be part of any decisions that are made and I need to know how it is gonna effect my life."

Looking back down at the list he casually threw in one of his own questions, "what am I feeling right now?" Slightly taken aback by the randomness of his question, I did what he asked and searched out that part of Eric that lived forever in the back of my mind. I must have passed over it twice before I actually pinned it down, and only then did I get a slight buzz that let me know he was alive.

"I don't have an answer for you Eric, I can barely feel you." I replied honestly. "Can you feel me?" I searched his eyes for the truth and all I could see was worry. I hated seeing Eric worried; it was not a good look on him and made me nervous as hell.

He contemplated his answer before he spoke, "No lover, I cannot feel your emotions anymore, I get enough to know you are alive no more, no less. I'm not entirely sure I would be able to track you should you be taken either and this worries me no end."

I was shocked. If anyone succeeded in taking me, Eric might not be able to find me. My mind raced through several scenarios before I blurted out. "I'm not safe here; I need to get home Eric."

"We should be fine here Lover, only two others know the location of this safe house, it is well protected." He was trying to reassure me, but my mind was far into panic mode now. My survival instincts had kicked in and I knew I needed to be safely back within the fae wards around my house. Throwing out my mental net to scan the surroundings, it calmed me slightly to find nothing but us.

"We still need to leave; Niall put really strong wards around my house. We will be safer within them. The only thing is we can't talk freely there. I wish there was a way for us to keep prying eyes and ears out. Plus I'd like to sweep for bugs before we go back. So many Supes have been in my house, it could have been so easy to plant something to keep tract of me. I am such a valuable asset after all." I said bitterly.

"A bug sweep I can manage, you'd need to speak to a witch if you wanted a concealment spell though. I can get the same company that sweeps my office out to your house probably tonight, so we can get to your house before dawn."

As Eric left the room to make his call, I thought about maybe asking Amelia if she knew how to do a concealment spell. If she didn't, Octavia still owes me for staying at my house all those months. If there was one good thing to come out of thinking of myself as a Supe, it was not to take favours for granted. You never know when you need help in return.

I'd sat there for maybe twenty minutes thinking about if I should call the witches to help me, when I realised Eric hadn't come back yet. Lifting myself out of the chair, I started to head toward the door to find him, when I noticed he was in the doorway glaring at me. Shocked at the look he was giving me I was dumfounded when he tapped on the air in front of him like he was a mime. The air visibly rippled. I just gaped. His face relaxed and he raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued now he had my attention.

"Eric?"

His mouth moved but I couldn't hear him. Confused I tried again. "Eric, what's going on? I can't hear you."

A slight smirk spread across his lips, before he gestured he'd be back in a second. Vamping away, he returned with another pen and legal pad. I sighed, we were back to playing super spy. Scribbling furiously for several seconds, he held up the pad and I stepped closer to read what he had written.

_Somehow it appears you have managed to create a partial concealment ward, not only can we not hear each other but I cannot reach you. I think it may be similar it to the magic that keeps vampires out of a human's home. Try inviting me in, before we ring Ludwig?_

I really did expect it to work when I issued his invitation. I was mistaken, but I tried not to laugh as I watched Eric bounce on to his butt after being rebounded from the barrier. He appeared to sigh and pull out his phone again; presumably to call the doctor about this little conundrum we'd got ourselves into. He really was being a good sport about this; the closest he had gotten to being angry with me was when he said I needed to learn control. But I'd say he was chiding me rather than being truly angry. A simple solution broke through my musing seemingly from nowhere. I stepped forward, gaining Eric's attention in the process and lifted a hand towards the barrier. Whereas Eric's huge hand caused ripples, mine just passed through it like my sudden thought told me it would. Grabbing Eric's hand, he allowed me to pull him through the barrier which glowed softly as he passed. Taking the phone from him, I began speaking to the doctor.

"Short version; I have it under control now, I got Eric across. Can I give you the long version tomorrow when you bring the fae guide to meet me?" Agreeing to my request, I hung up and faced the amused vampire next to me.

"Just how do you have it under control Lover?" He smirked at me.

"It just came to me, I know what I did, how to get someone across and how to do it again. The thing that's really cooked my noodle is how easy it was to do. I wasn't even making a conscious effort or anything."

"Can I make an observation?" I nodded my consent and he continued with his train of thought, "You seem rather calm about all this. I'm surprised and I must confess a little unnerved by the fact that from my previous experiences with you, you would not be taking it so calmly. How did you so eloquently put it before? Ah yes, this is not your usual MO."

Rolling my eyes at him, I grabbed my purse and headed to the door, calling over my shoulder. "Come on then you big Viking, I need to get home and practice my rather convenient new trick. We've got the whole journey back to talk about it."

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**Reviews are like catnip. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review/alert/fav, it gives me the boost to keep going and there is plenty more to come.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm going on holiday tomorrow, so this will be the last chapter for over a week, that is unless it rains everyday and I have to find something to do. As always I don't own anything, I'm just borrowing these guys.**

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**Chapter 9**

Standing silently the wolf sniffed the air, there was a lingering scent that was sweet and mesmerising although the place was saturated with it, it had already become old, several hours old; a day maybe. It was easily being drowned out by the stink of vampire; just one vampire. Who came there often enough to drown the surrounding area in the stench of death. A noise from the woods behind him drew a growl from his chest; crouching low, ears back, teeth bared in a snarl; he turned in the direction of the sound as the afore mentioned vampire approached slowly.

"Have you had any luck tracking down the girl?" The wolf relaxed and began to shimmer, shifting into the form of a man.

"You my contact?" He said in a low growl, giving the vampire an appraising look. The vampire nodded and he continued with his report.

"There have been no sightings of the girl, I tried to make contact yesterday at her place of work, but no one had seen her and the shifter was getting suspicious of my inquiries. So I came back to watch the house, there has been no activity since I arrived and all scents are several hours old. I cannot sense anyone in the house nor can I get any closer than the tree line. There is a barrier, maybe witch magic?" He finished with a shrug.

The vampire gave him an icy glare at the mention of the barrier. Who would have warded the property? The little witch perhaps, before she returned to New Orleans. He himself hadn't actually noticed the barrier, preferring to remain hidden within the trees to watch the comings and goings. This warranted further investigation, but for now he just needed to give the wolf further instructions and he could begin the nights watch.

"You may leave for the night, return as before 20 minutes before dawn." After his orders had been given the man shifted and trotted off into the night in search of some dinner.

_Watching an empty house was boring and hungry work, but it paid well. Maybe he could stop at the shifters bar to ease his empty stomach; and if he happened upon some more information about the little blonde's ware bouts well, that was just a bonus. _He mused as the smell of fried pickles and beer hit his senses, making up his mind he followed the scent back to the bar.

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**EPOV**

Following Sookie out of the back door I rushed past her to open the car door. Ever the gentleman, I wiggled my brows at her when she looked at me with a smile. Vamping to the other side, I folded my large frame into the car and sped off into the night. After a minute or two I decided to break the silence before I broached the subject of her being so calm.

"So, the Sweeper will reach Bon Temps around the same time as we do. It shouldn't take him long maybe an hour he is very efficient and discreet. So if anyone is nosing around in the woods they won't see much. Are you going to tell me then?"

"Not much to tell really," she replied with a sigh. "I just feel kinda different, like I don't need to blow up over every tiny little thing. Right now I feel pretty mellow, I mean we have a starting point of a plan at least, the rest will come together and we will deal with everything that comes to us one step at a time. There isn't much I can do about a lot of my problems until they come knocking, I'm doing what I can to prepare though. Which is why were going back to my house, it's protected by strong magic and until we can fix the bond I don't want anyone tempted to take me."

Patting my leg she went back to looking out of the window. I was trying to process what she had just explained. From what I could gather this new outlook was clearly linked to her maturing spark. I'd have to reassess my opinion of Sookie Stackhouse. It was becoming more obvious that she was going to need guidance with her powers and her total emersion into the Supernatural community. Luckily I had centuries of practice, dealing with vampire abilities, politics and the intrigue that surrounds the various supernatural species. I'd gladly help her through the mine field; I was beginning to see it like making another child, the similarities were numerous. Learning to control emotions and urges, keeping them well fed, learning about new abilities, learning how to fight and changing their outlook from in the now human to that of a long lived Supernatural.

"What's got you so happy?" Her question broke through my reflections.

"You can feel me?" I asked cautiously.

"Nah, you had a real dreamy look on your face. So you gonna tell me?" She was practically bouncing in her seat; it appeared her 'mood ring' was indicating her current hyper active state. Her glow was changing colour rapidly, it reminded me of the gaudy Christmas decorations Pam insisted on putting up in the bar every year. Trying not to chuckle at her over eagerness I replied tentatively, "I was just likening your maturing spark to becoming a newborn vampire." Glancing over to check her reaction, her face was screwed up in confusion.

"Nope, I don't follow your logic there." She popped the p and grinned broadly. Seemingly in a very playful mood, she defied all previous Sookie behaviour on the subject of being turned. I truly expected her to pitch a fit and then mentally face palmed, for the fact that not even two minutes ago concluding that I needed to reassess my opinion of her.

"Explain it to me, please." Focusing her full attention on me, like a child being read a bedtime story. It was a bit of a struggle not to start off 'Once upon a time', her playfulness was rubbing off on me.

"When you are a newborn vampire you have to learn everything again, How to feed, how to temper your strength so you don't hurt unintentionally, you have to learn to control your emotions and urges, learning about any gifts and how to fight with or without them, all while changing the way you think, from in the now human to that of a long lived Supernatural. It's a very complex process and something all makers teach their progeny. I just thought it was rather ironic that I'll be helping a fairy learn how to be vampire."

"I can see that" she said with a wry grin. Her face became serious as she added in a whisper, "Thank you Eric, for everything." I didn't expect her to explain her statement but she continued anyway. "And I mean that in the fairy sense of the word too." I was astounded. To think that just hours ago she thought herself to be mainly human and Supe laws didn't apply to her, to now sitting here next to me embracing her fairy side and indebting herself to me. My mind scrambled for a response, "Are you sure you understand fully what you're saying there Sookie."

"Of course I do, I wouldn't have said it otherwise." she snapped back, folding her arms, I'm sure if we weren't in the car she would of stamped her little foot too. There's my indignant Sookie, all is still right with the world if she is still going to throw the odd hissy fit. "I apologise"

We lapsed into a comfortable silence and soon we were at the end of her driveway. I could see the car parked in front of her house, I was going to ask Sookie if there was anyone watching her house, when her hand shot out and grabbed mine. The instant we touched, I felt warmth brush across my mind before I was plunged into what I could only surmise as Sookie's mind. I could see and hear what she could. There was a vampire in the woods, waiting for her to arrive back home and he certainly wasn't happy about the wards he could not pass. Shocked at the sudden intrusion, I pushed it aside to deal with the current problem. We had already been spotted, making any plans of a stealth entrance redundant. The only feasible option was to get inside as soon as possible and get Sookie to recreate the same ward around her home that she had lain down in my kitchen.

She squeezed my hand and nodded slightly when she had my attention; silently signalling that she had understood my thought. When the car had come to a stop next to the Sweeper, I got out quickly trying to assess the area for impending attack all the while showing nothing but ignorance at being watched. We certainly didn't want to tip our hand to the unknown vampire. Thankfully Sookie stayed in the car until I opened her door and ushered her into the house with the Sweeper following in our wake.

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**SPOV**

As soon as we entered the house, Eric glanced at me and I threw up the concealment bubble, tweaking it slightly too now include visual as well as audio concealment. Who would have thought it was that easy, practically 'your wish is my command'. Releasing a big sigh, I turned to our visitor nodding in greeting. He was a rather short man with a stereotypical nerdy frame. His piercing green eyes were partially hidden behind his dark framed glasses and his sandy hair was gelled into small spikes. He had obvious dealt with a lot of Supes before; he never batted an eye at the fact I was glowing. I'd kinda forgotten about it myself until I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, it wasn't anything I could control right now so why bother worrying.

Now I had concealed our activities from outside the house, there was still the possibility of the house being bugged. I really couldn't face a cloak and dagger conversation so I just kept my mouth shut and let the experts get on with it. After Eric had given the man a quick nod he dropped his backpack to the floor and started rooting around in it for whatever equipment he needed. It didn't take him long before he was wandering from room to room with a small handheld device, which I presumed detected the bugs and a small plastic box. I'd been watching him for a minute or two before Eric got my attention by touching my hand. Turning to him I was surprised to see a slight frown on his face, but when I went to ask him why, he shook his head indicating we had to wait for the Sweeper to be finished. I really wanted a shower and I began to head that way when a thought hit me, what if my shower is bugged. I shuddered at the thought of someone spying on me that way and decided I would wait just in case. There wasn't much to be done while we waited, but I did have to show the Sweeper the hidey hole and open the door to the attic, best to have a through job done. It took maybe 40 minutes from start to finish, but when he returned to his backpack in the lobby the small box he had was full of little things. I could only assume they were listening devices of some kind, although there were a few different sizes and colours. I really hadn't expected so many.

We followed him into the kitchen, where he placed the box in the microwave and it popped and sparked on full power for a few seconds. When it dinged, he smiled and nodded at us.

"That's the lot of them, rather a lot for the size of the property and it being a domestic home too. Don't think I've even seen that many at Fangtasia before." He enthused.

"I appreciate your assistance in helping us with our little problem." I smiled at him warmly. If I was going to embrace my fairy side I should at least get in the habit of not saying thank you, I'd have to get my thesaurus out to find new words to use. _I wonder if they do a word of the day calendar for fairies?_ I chuckled slightly at my silliness earning me a confused look from Eric before he asked the Sweeper to email him a report and showed him out to his car.

It was getting close to dawn and Eric would have to leave me for the day soon, I wanted to talk to him some more before he died for the day. Now we were spy free I took the opportunity to cast my mind out to the void in the woods. It had gone, shrugging my shoulders I went to find Eric so we could finalise our plans for tomorrow.

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**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and alerts/favs. Any guesses who the mystery vamp is? or any other questions you have, feel free to PM me.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Charlaine Harris**

**All mistakes are mine, I'm pretty tired and I probably haven't proof read it properly but I'm sure you'll forgive me.**

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**Chapter 10**

**EPOV**

I really didn't want to cram myself in the tiny space under Sookie's closet but we all have to do things we don't want to sometimes. I know she was thinking of renovating, perhaps I could talk to her about expanding this hole in the ground. It was getting close to dawn; I checked my phone for any new messages and headed to the kitchen in search of some paper. My lover had a busy day ahead of her and I wanted her to have a little reminder of my love when I couldn't be with her. Between the new fairy guide and the spiteful doctor, I'm sure she would be in information overload by the time I woke. Not the best frame of mind to come up with a plan and settle our legal issues. I really would prefer her to be waiting for me when I rise but I knew my lover would be busy bustling about preparing for her dinner guest.

As I past her bedroom I couldn't help but peek into her room and check on her. She had fallen asleep not long after the sweeper had left. I could feel she wanted to talk some more with me but she just couldn't fight her exhaustion and not knowing what was required of her tomorrow I encouraged her to get some rest.

She was curled up in the centre of her bed like a small child, I tried to repress my laughter when she pulled the cutest face as she snorted and rolled over. Leaving my lover sleeping soundly I chucked to myself all the way down the hall and in to the kitchen. Locating a pen and some paper I sat at the table and tried unsuccessfully to cram my legs under it in as comfortable position as I could manage. I finished writing and looked around for a suitable place to leave it. Noticing her coffee machine on the counter I propped it up against the pot.

Heading back to the closet, I fired off a quick email to the daemon letting him know about the change in venue and had just enough time to send a list of errands to bobby before I fell into my day rest.

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**SPOV**

My subconscious registered two beings approaching my front porch well before the rest of my brain kicked in and they actually knocked. I could already identify the odd signature that was Dr Ludwig and I presumed the iridescent bubble next to her was my guide to all things fairy. Turning on my side I checked the time on my little clock radio and groaned. 8.00 am. Did these people not know that I'm with a vampire and this is far too early for me? The knock at the door only announced what I already knew; time to get my butt out of bed. Snagging my robe on the way past I headed to the door to let them in, I guess I should just get this over with. As much as I was excited to find out what I could do and work on my new gifts, I just couldn't seem to muster the enthusiasm so early. Perhaps coffee would help. I did a quick once over my appearance in the mirror by the door before opening it and greeting my guests.

"Good Morning Dr Ludwig," nodding in greeting, I stuck my hand out to the man standing next to her "I presume your my new guide to all things fairy, my name's Sookie." I smiled brightly as he took my offered hand and beamed back at me.

"I'm Mark; it's a pleasure to meet you." His brown eyes sparkled as he took in my short robe and bed hair. He was quite lovely to look at, like all the fae are; truly beautiful with an unmistakable otherworldness to them. His hair was a warm brown and he wore it long enough to cover the tops of his ears, in a shaggy just rolled out of bed look. I'm sure this looked much better than the' just out of bed look' I was currently sporting. He was dressed in blue jeans and a plain green tee shirt, you could tell he was well defined and I'm sure he didn't have any problems with the ladies.

Ushering them into the house I apologised for being in my robe and Pointing out the coffee machine in the kitchen and rushed off to get dressed. I decided to forgo the shower and just grabbed some jeans and a long sleeved tee out of my closet. Brushing my hair into my signature pony tail, I headed back to my guests and hopefully the answers to many of my questions.

Following my nose to the smell of percolating coffee I found them sat at the kitchen table.

"I see you found the coffee pot, can I get you anything else?" I asked as I helped myself to coffee and picked up the note addressed to me by the side of the machine.

"No, were both fine dear." The doctor replied. She seemed to smile in a motherly way, which was frankly quite creepy. I suppressed a slight shudder and smiled back.

"So what's the plan for today? I have a tone of questions," I sat down at the table and waited for one of them to speak. Mark looked to Dr Ludwig; I guess she was going to get this little powwow started.

"Well I suppose first things first, have you had any other powers appear since we last spoke?"

"No nothing else, I guess I owe you an explanation from last night as well." I smiled sheepishly at her.

"Yes that would be as good as any place to start." She replied in a serious tone.

"Well where do you want me to start off? From when I started glowing or when I locked Eric out of his kitchen?" I asked.

"If you could start at the manifestation of your powers then go from there, we can bring Mark up to speed and he can come up with a way to help you." She answered.

So I began my explanation of the last few days starting with my anger and subsequent glow to my musing about concealment wards and my witch friends. "I'm not sure how exactly I did it in the first place but once I stopped and thought for a second, it all came rushing to me. Like I knew all along, but just forgot about it. You know what I mean?" I looked at them for clarification and Mark nodded slightly.

"The remembering can happen at any point in a fairies spark cycle, it's not just limited to the time of maturing." He answered with certainty. My subconscious answered my question before it left my lips. The remembering is the inherent knowledge from those that came before me. My ancestors in the Summerland, who help guide me through life. Several other tit bits of information pertaining to my family history and some other useful tricks passed through my mind causing me to smile. Mark continued; "You're obviously experiencing some more of the remembering. Now that it has happened once it will continue coming to you over the course of your life. It is one of the reasons that as fairies age they gain more strength and power, not unlike vampires in that respect." He chuckled slightly.

I asked the question that had been burning my brain "Is it possible to wish things into being?" It was a wild thought but it was all I could come up with for how I initially came up with a concealment ward.

"Well theoretically it is possible, I myself do not have that gift but there have been records of it happening. It is likened to the gift all fairies get. Part of what I like to call the standard 3, _glaoch ar _is the ability to call objects to you, _iompair_ is transportation and _éadrom_ is the light we weald. _Glaoch ar_ is the closest to what you speak of. It is limited to what you already have in your possession, where as manifesting your heart's desire is limitless, and a very powerful gift to have. Although I'm not too sure that is what you have. We would have to run through some simple tests to eliminate the possibility."

"Okay I guess we can try it. You said transportation, did you mean popping? Do you think I could do that?" I got excited at the thought of being to travel anywhere at will. It'd sure save me on gas.

"Yes I guess you could call it popping, we call it teleporting. W e can give that a go too if you would like? In fact I'd like to try you with all of the standard 3, see what you can do so far." He replied with a smile.

It was at this point Dr Ludwig joined the conversation, "I'd like to check you over first little girl, just to make sure your human genes are up to all this energy. Shall we go into the sitting room and you can lie down before I leave you two to your little experiments."

Hopping down from the chair, she moved quickly into the sitting room and I obediently followed her. Mark remained in the kitchen giving us some privacy. It was a lot to take in but I could see the possibilities that were open to me with knowledge I gain from my ancestors.

It didn't take long for the doctor to give me permission to play. Mark called out from the kitchen as I walked the doctor to the door. "I'll meet you in the back yard." After seeing the small doctor out, I headed back through the house and into the yard. Mark was some distance away, towards the trees. "Come" he beckoned as he headed towards the tree line. I dutifully followed, wondering why the hell we were going into the woods. I kept my ears and mind open when I left the boundary of the protection wards and entered the woods cautiously.

We walked for maybe 10minutes before Mark stopped suddenly; I had to catch myself before I walked right into him. "What's wrong?" I asked him puzzled at the abrupt stop in the small clearing.

"Can you feel it?" His question puzzled me slightly until I gave the clearing my full attention. There in the centre was a rippling in the air. There was a great deal of energy surrounding this place and thankfully the remembering answered my question as to what it was; a fairy portal. What it didn't answer however was what it was doing in my woods and why it was even open. Niall had closed them all; well I presumed he had when he came to me after the incident.

"It's a portal; I thought they were all closed?" I took a step forward drawn to the mystical energies.

"They are closed, but they still leave a residue energy that calls to us. It is not the first time they have been closed and the energy keeps the surrounding land from being tainted in between times of closure." He explained. It was all quite interesting really. The energy was truly mesmerizing, I'm not quite sure how long I stood there basking in its radiance before mark rested his hand on my arm, drawing me back to myself.

"It can be very distracting at first, you'll get used to it." He chuckled at my frown. "I brought you here so you can borrow from the energies and we can test you fully for potential as well as what you can do now. I want you to sit, place your hands palm down on the ground and clear your mind. We need you in tune with nature; it helps to bring out the magic within us."

Doing what I was told, I sat and waited further instructions. "Do you feel the pulse of the land beneath your fingers? The land breathes, breathe with it, become one with your surroundings and we shall begin."

Letting myself go I could in fact feel the ground beneath me pulsing with energy and I lost myself to the flow of wellbeing that washed through me. I have never felt so loved and accepted before, not even from my beloved Gran. I truly felt like a part of some bigger whole and it created such a feeling inside me, I never wanted to let it go.

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**A/N: Sorry for keeping you guys waiting for this. My muse left me around the same time my phone finally died so it took me a while to get that sorted and then I've been so busy with RL that I haven't had time to sit and get writing again. But my muse is back and I've started the next chapter so It shouldn't be too long till I update again. As always let me know what you think or if you have any cool ideas for where you want to see this going I'm open to suggestions. **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This is a bit on the short side, but we find out whats been going on in the rest of the world.**

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**Chapter 11**

"Ah, there you are. I do not like to be kept waiting!" Glaring his displeasure at the vampire bowed in front of him.

"I apologise your majesty, I was delayed." The vampire replied smoothly.

"Yes yes, excuses excuses." He waved the subordinate vampire's words away, impatient to hear the report he'd been waiting for. All his plans revolved around the information this pitiful excuse for a vampire held.

"I have done what you asked of me sire. The telepath and the sheriff have been watched constantly these last few weeks. It has seemed fairly innocent up until a few days ago when she flew off with the sheriff in the early evening and disappeared off the map till the next evening. They met someone at her house and then something strange happened. I can only assume the guest was a witch of some sort. The property was placed under a concealment spell, all our bugs went dead and I could no longer detect the property. It was like it disappeared completely, no sounds, no smells, nothing. I could not even step foot past the tree line; it's certainly the strongest magic I have seen. I have since then spent my remaining time researching the magic and trying to find a way round it. Unfortunately I've had no luck so far and any attempt to discover the identity of her visitor has yielded nothing yet."

There was silence between the two vampires until with a wave of his hand the lesser vampire was dismissed. Bowing deeply, he backed towards the door; unsure if the King was likely to change his mind at his partial failure. Once the door was closed, he began to ponder this latest development. The telepath is not without allies it seems. Plans need to be changed; he needs to tread carefully; very carefully. The imbecile is obviously in over his head, perhaps he has come to the end of his usefulness. Picking up the phone, he dials someone he thinks would be best to take over the task of watching the telepath and the sheriff. He would deal with the young vampire later.

* * *

The ancient one was reclined on her usual cushions high up in the northern mountains of her opulent Greek home. A handmaiden approaches as the ancient crone beckoned.

"Make the necessary arrangements; we need to be in the new world by tomorrow."

"Yes your grace." A knowing smile graced the crone's thin lips. _Yes the new world will need me soon, best to be there as events unfold. All the pieces were falling into place, if we're not careful the wrong path will be chosen and all out war will be inevitable_. Sinking back into her cushions she allowed the vision to play a second time. _I think I shall enjoy meeting that feisty little fairy again._

* * *

"Charles? Charles?" Niall called for his chamberlain. "Where is that man?" he wondered.  
A slim fairy with fiery red hair entered the room. "yes your majesty?" he replied.

"There was a breech in the wards surrounding my Granddaughters home. It appears there is a loop hole. Send someone to rectify it immediately."

"At once your Majesty." The red haired fairy bowed out of the room, leaving the Prince alone once more.

_It appears I'll have to reopen Sookie's portal and see what the hell is going on._ He mused, he hated his magic being messed with; it left a bad taste on the tongue and frazzled the nerves.

* * *

**SPOV**

I'm not sure how long I had been connected to the land around me but the low growl behind me certainly ripped my attention from my meditation. Turning slowly I threw my mental net out trying to pin point the impending threat. One lone Were, just outside of the clearing. His thoughts were hazy in his animal form, but his intent was clear; he wanted me.

I had no idea where mark had gone I couldn't sense him anywhere within the surrounding woods, I was alone in dealing with the Were. Trying not to be obvious in my movements I searched my immediate surrounding for a weapon of some sort but came up empty. The clearing was devoid of any sticks or rocks. My mind flashed to what Mark had said when talking about the standard 3, I could call objects I owned to me. I frantically racked my brain for a suitable weapon in the house to defend myself against the wolf. A dagger would be really helpful, but I certainly didn't own one. I'd have to settle for a knife from the kitchen, I closed my eyes and focused on the biggest sharpest knife I had in the house willing it into my hand. I knew something happened but it wasn't the knife I was expecting that came to me when I opened my eyes; it was a beautiful silver dirk. I barely had time to admire it when the wolf lunged at me. Putting my improved reflexes to the test I rolled to the side and adopted a half crouch, my weapon firmly in hand ready for the next move.

The wolf paced in front of me, appearing to reassess its options. I tried again to penetrate the haze and giving myself the advantage of knowing his next move. A small tug on the periphery of my mind informed me that there was a second Were coming to join the fray. Just great 2 against 1, my odds were depleting. The first wolf growled again, trying to pull my attention from the one behind me. Taking a deep breath I lunged for the first Were before the second could attack from the rear. Taking him slightly off guard, I managed to slice his chest and rolled past him. He howled and thrashed, as blood seeped into his fur. I now had both wolves in front of me, one of them injured. My odds were improving, but I had clearly angered the first with my slice. His mouth was foaming and his eyes flashed, he was going to make me pay for that before he took me. Perhaps the odds hadn't improved that much, they were clearly determined to take me. If I'd had the time I would be amazed at my ability to analyse the situation and come up with a reasonable strategy to overcome my foes, however it seemed to happen instantaneously and I had a small flash of pride before my brain refocused once again. I really wished I had more control over my gifts so I could even the fight and where the hell was Mark? I could really do with his help about now.

It was then that they both attacked together and several things happened all at once. Time seemed to slow and any fear I felt dissolved, I was able to think clearly and I knew what I had to do. Summoning light energy into my free hand I threw it at the uninjured Were, while I jumped and twirled in the air with all the gracefulness of a dancer towards the other. I thrust my blade into his chest and the world sped up once more. Landing lightly on the balls of my feet; I pivoted, dirk at the ready. But it was not needed, both wolves were clearly dead. The one I threw light at was smouldering slightly and the second was lying in a growing pool of blood. Casting my mind out again, I breathed easy to know I was once again alone. The first question that screamed through my mind was where the hell was Mark? He'd left me alone and vulnerable in the woods. I kicked myself, why the hell did I trust him? I was told not to trust anyone. I blindly let him lead me into the woods away from the protective wards and right to a fairy portal, when I know I still have fairy enemies looking for me. I felt so stupid; I mean was that even Dr Ludwig that came with him? My mind flashed to the shifting fae Preston. If he could take on the appearance of a shifter complete with brain signature, who's to say that one of them couldn't take on the shape of another Supe? I really needed to get back to the safety of the wards. I set off at a trot keeping my mind open and a firm grasp of my weapon.

I arrived back at the house soon enough and tried to plan my next move. It was still early afternoon so no Eric for a while yet. I did the only other thing I could think of; I picked up my cell and dialled Mr C. He was the only person I could trust right now and I hoped he would be able to come earlier and help me sort through this mess I'd put myself in.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here you go. It's slightly longer than normal, hope you like it.**

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**Chapter 12**

**SPOV**

Sighing in relief as I ended the call with Mr C, I checked all the doors were locked and went to the bathroom to take a shower. I was sweaty and stunk of Were and adrenaline. As the room filled with steam I reflected on all that had happened this morning. A wave of panic washed through me when I realised that Mark and his accomplice managed to get through the protective barrier surrounding the property. How the hell did that happen? Where they still working? I had no idea how to test them, but the most worrying aspect if they were still working was that Marks magic must be strong. Stronger than Niall's if he could breech them without my knowledge.

Quickly finishing off I hopped out and dried myself quickly. Plucking a sundress off the hanger in the closet, I wandered to the dresser and fished out a nice lemon bra and panties. _Would you look at that, I thought it slightly odd that I'd pulled out clothes at random and they complimented themselves perfectly. What are the odds?__Shaking the thoughts from my mind I headed back to the kitchen to prepare dinner. I'd planned on a pot roast and it would take a few hours to get nice and tender__. _

While I was peeling and chopping the vegetables, I let my mind wander. Had I really conjured up a dagger out of nowhere? I knew I certainly didn't own anything like that. I stopped chopping and turned to retrieve the dagger from the table behind me. Fingering the blade gently, I examined it for any distinguishing marks that could help me identify where it had come from. The hilt was exquisitely carved with a series of shapes and what looked like some kind of writing which flowed onto the blade itself. It shone brightly even with the Weres blood crusting along the edge. I retrieved a cloth from the sink and proceeded to wipe the blood from the blade. The more I held it, the more it felt a part of me. I could feel energy radiating from it and I closed my eyes to bask in its power.

A knock at the door roused me from the energy. Throwing out a mental net to the visitor at the door, I instantly recognised Mr C's brain signature. Gently placing the blade on the table I padded to the door to greet my guest.

"Hello my dear, I came as soon as I could." he smiled warmly.

"I'm so glad you could come early, please come in. There's a lot I've got to tell you." I replied standing to one side to allow him entrance. "Let's go through to the kitchen, I'm just in the process of putting together our dinner. Can I offer you a drink? I have to peach tea" my southern manners kicking in. I lead the way to the kitchen.

"Yes that would be lovely" he settled himself at the kitchen table as I went to the fridge for the tea. Pouring him a glass I smiled and resumed my chopping.

"My dear, where on earth did you get this blade?" He said in a serious tone.

"Erm can I start from the beginning, it won't take long?" Giving him a nervous glance, I feel like I'm going to get chastised by the daemon for my irresponsible actions. If I can just get him on side, hopefully he won't gang up on me with Eric later. He nods slowly and I begin my tale; starting with my rude awakening and ending with the Weres. "Do you think that was really Dr Ludwig this morning?"

He looks thoughtful for a second. "I don't believe it was. I will contact her discreetly in a moment. But first I think we need to inspect the wards."

"You know how to do that?" I say with astonishment. "Do you think it's something I could do? Can you show me?" This would certainly be a very useful skill to have, I was positively buzzing with excitement at learning something new and useful.

"I don't see why not, it is fairly easy and you do have a touch of daemon blood in you after all." He gave me a wry smile and walked out the door. I trotted after him, but not before I plucked the dagger from the table where Mr C had left it. You never can be too careful; I'd already been caught off guard once today I wasn't going to slip up again. We were maybe 200 yards from the magical barrier when I felt Mr C stiffen beside me. I cast my mind out checking for any obvious threats that would cause him to become alert. When I came up empty I turned to him. "What's up?"

"There appears to be a small hole in the ward. If I had to guess I'd say it was a loop hole in the wording when it was cast; very disturbing indeed." He reached a hand out and touched the air in front of him. "Here can you feel it? Focus your mind on the energies around you; you should be able to feel some resistance when you push against it." Taking my hand he brought it up to the other still outstretched feeling the air.

It felt slightly tingly and I told him so. He chuckled at my answer and replied; "Yes I suppose it does feel a bit tingly. You get used to it over the years and come to recognise the signature of the magic and the intent with which it was cast. It just takes practice." He smiled at me and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "There is an urgent issue he needs to be informed about, the protection has been breached." Hanging up after giving his brief message, "Come my dear let us get back into the house. Nice work on the concealment by the way. It is very potent." He winked and gestured me back towards the house.

"I'm very grateful you showed me how. I guess the key to most of these new abilities is to focus on the energies. I need to learn how to meditate more effectively."

"That would be a useful way to spend your time and your most welcome. Anything I can help you with, you only need to ask." I nodded and smiled at him in reply.

* * *

**EPOV**

I woke for the second time that day but at least this time I knew it was my usual waking time and not Sookie's emotions rousing me from my day death. I knew she was pottering around downstairs and the daemon had arrived. He was much too early; it must have something to do with what happened with Sookie today. Having nothing better to do while I waited out the sun, I listened to their conversation. I might be able to glean something from it about what happened today.

"I've sent Diantha over to Dr Ludwig, she will report back to me soon. Hopefully nothing has happened to her, the Supernatural community relies on her heavily for her expertise." The daemons statement left me more confused than ever, my mind was flashing from one scenario to another and it took some effort to pull my thoughts back to the present.

"Do you know if what he told me was true? I'm hesitant to believe anything he told me now." Sookie's voice was full of confusion; I wished I could feel her properly.

"I know some of how the fae work, it rings true from what little I know. Like you mentioned before, if you are getting snippets of information from your ancestors perhaps the best way to get your answers is to meditate; the way may become clear to you if you do. I'm almost positive if you put your mind to something you will succeed, you have shown true power in conjuring this; it is truly beautiful."

"Can you read the inscription?" The eagerness was evident in her voice.

"It is an ancient language; I only know a few words from it. Perhaps your Viking might be able to translate it."

I felt the sun sink below the horizon and finally I could leave this insufferable hole and find out what the fuck is going on.

* * *

**SPOV**

"So my naughty little fairy, what have you been up to today?" I jumped a mile when Eric whispered in my ear.

"Ahh! Don't do that, you know I hate it when you guys sneak up on me!" I yelled, putting my hand on my chest to try and calm the furious beating within.

"Yes, but I have a feeling I'm not going to like what you're about to tell me. You woke me from my day death Sookie. Even with the bond as it is, I was still swallowed by your rage and determination. If I hazard a guess, I'd say you were fighting and it wasn't just some silly sparing match. You were fighting to kill." He stood looking at me expectantly with a glacial stare and his arms folded, showing me he meant business.

"I know you're going to be real mad at me, but first let me just say I understand completely where I went wrong and I won't let it happen again."

"What happened?" He sighed, unfolding his arms and taking a seat next to me.

"Well I was woken up by Dr Ludwig and a fairy called Mark, we talked a bit and then Mark took me into the woods to the fairy portal. He talked to me a bit about fairy gifts and asked me to become one with the surroundings. I don't know how long I was sat there but my focus was broken by a Were, I managed to summon a weapon before he attacked me. I wounded him with the blade, before a second one came and I manoeuvred them both in front of me. Then I summoned a ball of light energy which I threw at one of them while I rushed the one I wounded already. I killed them both and came back to the house." I looked down at my hands in my lap. "I know it was stupid to go blindly into the woods with a fairy I'd just met. I can't believe how trusting I was, I'm so sorry Eric that I put myself in danger. Anyone could have dragged me through that portal. Mark said it was closed but when I was focused on the energies surrounding that clearing, it certainly didn't feel closed. I guess I'd liken the feeling to it being left ajar. Definitely something we should be aware of and plan for."

"Show me this weapon you summoned." I was shocked at his request, I had expected him to shout and yell at me for being so careless with my life. I scurried into the kitchen to retrieve the knife. Handing it to him wrapped in a cloth, I took a step back and kept my head down in submission_. _I had failed my mate. _Wow where the hell had that come from?_ _My mate? Did I think of Eric as my mate? He was my bonded certainly even if the bond was strange at the moment_. The emotions that rose within me caused me to sway slightly.

"Are you well my dear? Perhaps you should sit." Mr C had picked up on my unsteadiness. I smiled back at him nodding and sat down on the sofa.

"Can you translate the inscription? I do not know the language well enough." He asked. Eric was quiet for a few minutes while he studied the intricate carvings.

"Yes, it is an ancient language that was already old when I was human. It has been some time since I have seen anything like this. If you have conjured this into existence Sookie, you are very powerful indeed. It is similar to a druid blade used for ceremonies and ritual; although I suppose you could do a lot of damage with it too." Tearing his eyes from the blade he gave me a wry smile before he continued. "The inscription talks of life and death uniting in the never ending circle of forever. It is essentially a pledging knife; that binds body and soul together, a very beautiful object with a very important purpose."

Listening to his words, my mind flashed back to Rhodes and the ceremonial knife used to bond us together. "Is it like the knife you used in Rhodes?"

"Yes Lover, it has a similar purpose. However this knife carries some magic you can tell by the weight. The knife from Rhodes performed merely a symbolic binding; this knife performs a true binding, one of heart, mind and soul." He smiled, pleased with the connection I had made between the two knives.

"Well how the hell did I end up with it?"

"That is a very good question Lover, one I do not have the answer to unfortunately." Sighing he handed the knife back to me; I wrapped it up in the cloth and laid it on the coffee table in front of us.

"Well if we don't know how I ended up with it and don't have anyone we trust to ask, perhaps we should move on to what we're gonna do about De Castro and my supposed defunct telepathy?" While I was desperate to find some answers about my new found abilities, we didn't have a handy 'Fae skills for dummies' so we'd have to put it on the back burner till we were free and clear of this potentially messy situation with the King.

"I agree Lover; Perhaps I could make some discreet inquiries about your skills. But we really need to come up with some sort of plan and solidify your status as I 'regular human'." His eyes filled with mirth when calling me a regular human; I was getting distinctly less human by the hour if today was anything to judge by. Addressing the daemon first he asked, "Do you have any ideas as to how to protect Sookie from the repercussions of her changes?"

"It all depends on how you want to be protected." He said cryptically.

Trying not to get annoyed with Supes and their cryptic answers, "Can you tell us the options? We really don't have much of an idea of what to go with other than I no longer possess telepathy." I replied in an even tone, while trying to hide my annoyance. Why couldn't we get some straight answers for once?

"I think that's a fairly safe option to go with, you'll need a convincing back story as to why it was lost and possibly a reason why you were tortured by fairies? You'd still need to have some way of protecting yourself from being expendable now you are seen as a 'useless asset'. I'd advise against mentioning Niall though, the portals are not sealed shut and who knows when he'll open them again; best to keep him as your ace in the hole so to speak. Additionally you can pledge yourself to the Viking; you're already bonded so it would be an extra level of protection against reprisals that will protect you both. I also have a contract here with me, one that came to me from a trusted friend; it will protect you from the King and all other vampires. Each of these things can build an impenetrable wall around the two of you."

"Who is your trusted friend to offer a contract to protect us?" Eric demanded as he glared at the daemon.

"Here read it yourself all will become clear." He replied with a hint of a smile, not in the least bit phased by the Vikings outburst. He pulled the document from his briefcase and handed it to the vampire. Eric was silent for a few minutes while he read over the contract. I excused myself to check on our dinner, it should be ready about now. Pulling the pot roast out of the oven I inhaled the wonderful aroma and stole a piece of meat from the end. Mmm perfect, calling out to Mr. C that it was indeed ready. I quickly set the table, dished out the food and refilled our glasses with peach tea. Eric followed slowly behind the daemon; a look of shock on his face caused my smile to falter. I immediately went to his side; taking his cool hand in mine I caught his eye with my questioning gaze and a raised eyebrow.

"It appears the Ancient Pythoness wants to offer you formal protection." He said quietly, his face clearly displaying his disbelief at what his eyes had read. I gently patted his hand and guided him to a chair. I wasn't sure what I could do for a vampire in shock, but I heated a True Blood and placed it in front of him. He'd snap out of it soon enough. Instead I turned to the only other source of information in the room,

"While Eric is trying to process the meaning of whatever the contract means. Perhaps you could give me the cliff notes version; I may have to wait sometime before he comes back to himself." I chuckled.

"Of course my dear, this pot roast is delicious by the way." He dabbed at his mouth with his napkin before he gave me the short version, "It is a basic contract of protection, similar to the formal protection that De Castro had already bestowed upon you. What I think is hard for Eric to understand is that the Ancient One rarely involves herself in the world outside her home. She is rarely asked to pass judgment on vampires of status, but it is unheard of for her to offer her protection and what she offers you she offers by extension Eric also. You are bound in their world and by pledging yourself to him too it will seal the deal so to speak. It is a great honor she is bestowing upon you; it will protect you against the King and all others."

Now it was my turn to be struck dumb. The fricking A.P, whom I met only once wanted to protect me and Eric. I had no idea as to why, but I guess I'd be meeting her again sometime soon and we could get some answers then. I mentally shook myself to bring me back to the here and now; Mr. C was back to eating his meal, clearly allowing us to come to terms with the bombshell he just dropped. I turned to Eric and patted his arm, "Eric?" I called. "Eric, you need to snap out of it, we need to talk about what we should do." Giving him a last hard shove, he came back to himself and gave me a broad grin.

"This is wonderful Lover, I agree with Mr. Cataliades we should accept Her Graces protection and pledge as soon as possible. We can then approach the King and should be in the clear." He was practically giddy with excitement.

"Okay, as long as you explain to me what the pledging means, perhaps you can explain about the bond while you're at it? We never had that conversation did we?" I gave him a significant look, hopefully indicating that I wanted to readdress the current state of our bond in that conversation. He nodded his agreement to me and we quickly finished up our meal so we could get down to business.

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**Thank you for all the favs, alerts and reviews. Keep letting me know what you think, I love hearing from you all**.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: This chapter gave me a bit of trouble, it is the first time I've tried to write lemons so please forgive me if it falls a bit flat. I'm not entirely happy with it but I can't seem to make my brain write it any better so I give it to you anyway.**

**As always, I don't own these characters (except Mark, he's mine) they belong to the lovely Charliane Harris. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**

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**Chapter 13**

**SPOV**

Later when we were lying in bed, I turned to Eric resting my head on my hand, "Do you really mean it? You're not just going along with it for the protection?" I was worried he was being forced into this, just like I was forced into bonding with him. It felt wrong to do this if we were being pushed into it, kind of like a shotgun wedding. I smiled at the image in my mind, of me standing in the altar in a white dress heavily pregnant and Eric standing next to me with Niall holding a shot gun. Crazy what things float through your mind at the slightest idea, giving myself a good mental shake I focused back on the very serious conversation we were having.

"Of course not Lover, although I do admit it's not the way I would have broached the subject now that it is in the open, I find I'm rather relieved. I half expected you to unleash your fury upon me for asking to tie yourself further to Me." he smiled softly as he twirled a piece of my hair and playfully tickled my nose with the end.

I giggled at his playfulness, "I love this side of you, and it's so far from the stoic sheriff you show the world, it's like this smile is only for me. I can't tell you what it means that you show such trust in me." as soon as I said the L word, his eyebrow shot up and I quickly reached over to smooth it back down. Not quite ready to give voice to the feelings we had for each other, but we were close. Well I was certainly close to confessing and every time that damn eyebrow arched got me closer still.

"We are already tied," he stated mildly. "Before it weakened our bond was truly strong. It still worries me that it has diminished; perhaps if Her Grace grants us an audience we can find some answers." He smoothed his thumb over my cheek causing me to smile back at him. Leaning forward he looked me straight in the eye our noses touching, "I trust you with my life Sookie Stackhouse, you are mine and I have no intentions of letting you go." Closing the distance between us, he gently pressed his lips to mine. A soft kiss that was unhurried yet full of his feelings for me. The bond spluttered and sparked between us causing me to gasp.

"Eric, did you feel that?" I whispered.

"Yes, I'm beginning to think there is something blocking our bond. Only strong emotions seem to be able to break through." He was thoughtful for a moment before he continued, "I felt you today; you woke me from my day death. It was infuriating; I could feel the fight in you, the determination. It is comforting to know as long as you are conscious; I ought be able to feel something from you, should anyone manage to take you. But after proving you could take down two Weres, I think they'd be hard pressed to get away unscathed if any tried." He began to stroke his talented fingers down my side, his eyes following the path they made and the sensation of being truly admired by this man caused me to shiver. His eyes snapped back to mine at my involuntary movement, although his face turned serious when he said. "You were very lucky today; you could have been taken not just by the wolves but by the fairy. You need to be more cautious." He paused only to resume his trail over my hip and across my stomach where he stopped and drew small circles. "I'd like to train you."

A wave of excitement rose inside me; Eric was a truly magnificent fighter. "I would be honoured if you'd teach me. With the amount of fights I've been part of; some kind of skill would have been very handy."

"Your ability to think outside the box will help in understanding strategy, but it will be your emotions and impulse control that will be the biggest hindrance. If you cannot control your emotional outbursts you will become sloppy and that will lead you to be killed. I know you have been in much better control of your anger lately; we will start working on it tomorrow night. I want you to try doing some meditation today and see if you can get your ancestors to speak to you."

"I'm very grateful that you want to share your knowledge with me." I tried to be as humble as I could by his offer; it felt right to formally accept his gift. Even though I had already thanked Eric once, I wasn't prepared to thank him again and give him another favour to bank. I was wising up to the Supe world I was part of and I was trying my hardest to think before I spoke. If I was ending up more fae I needed to be well versed in fae etiquette, hell I needed to be versed in Supe etiquette in general. Thinking about fairies triggered a thought, "Hey do you think we could set up some sort of surveillance equipment in the portal clearing? That way we could be aware of any comings and goings." Excited at my idea I tried not to bounce too much. I just wanted to do something pro active to work on my defence and Eric's answer only bolstered my enthusiasm

"Again an excellent idea my Sookie. I can have the Sweeper come back, he does some very nice work. I've had him do all my surveillance at my safe houses and the club."

We fell into a comfortable silence after that, just touching each other gently. There was no rush, just a leisurely exploration of one another's bodies. Just as he started nuzzling my neck, I decided to break the silence. "Can you help me design a new light tight space? I want you to be comfortable here." I was slightly nervous of his answer so I rambled on before he had the chance to reply. "I'm going to be contacting Alcide tomorrow so we can start coming up with some plans for the renovations. The hidey hole can't be that comfy for you you're so much taller than Bill." He had paused in his attentions to my neck when I started speaking and nodded his agreement before resuming his gentle nibbling of my neck. He rocked me onto my back gently never stopping his tantalising circles on my stomach.

"Let me show you how happy you make me." His lips tickled my neck as he spoke. I found my hands in his hair giving him encouragement in his ministrations. His circling hand brushed my soft curls until he found my centre. Teasing me with the barest touch, I groaned causing him to chuckle; "So eager for my attentions? Relax Lover; I want to take my time with you."

My mind screamed at me as he continued his teasing strokes. I'd had enough of this delicious torment and a wicked thought crossed my mind before I acted upon it. Carefully shifting myself as to not draw attention to what I was about to do, I continued to squirm and moan while I aligned myself in position. Just as he gave me what I wanted and dipped his finger in to my entrance, I bit down hard on his neck drawing blood. He grunted, as I moaned when his sweet thick blood touched my tongue. Pulling two small mouthfuls from the wound, I released his neck and claimed him, "Mine!" Eric didn't take a second before he too bit into my neck, his fingers working me at a delicious pace. I could feel myself getting closer to the edge and I wanted him inside me when I plummeted over the precipice. Untangling one of my hands I brought it down to his manhood and gently began to stroke him. Understanding what I wanted from him he withdrew from the bite and quickly positioned himself at my entrance slowly pushing into me. We both moaned at the feeling, I could feel myself pulsing around his length causing his eyes to roll into his head.

As he began his long slow strokes, I looked into his eyes and could see the depth of his love for me. It caused a lump to form in my throat and a single tear sprung from my eye and trailed down my cheek. "I Love you Eric, Min vackra mate, hur jag har saknat dig" [My beautiful mate, how I have missed you.] Confusion was clear on his face, "Gråt inte min älskling, min bundna, min fru." [Do not cry my lover, my bonded, my wife.] Holding my gaze he brought us both to a gentle release, placing a gentle kiss on my heated flesh before resting his head on my chest. I lay there relishing the feeling of him deep inside me, stroking his beautiful hair. "Jag verkligen älskar dig min kompis, jag är ledsen jag var så vårdslös i dag. [I do really love you my mate, I am sorry I was so reckless today.] I guess I really was close to confessing my feelings, I couldn't help but smile.

Making a noise of protest as he shifted slightly, he asked me. "Du är en fantastisk varelse älskare, inser du att vi har samtalade på svenska? [You are an amazing creature lover, do you realise that we have been conversing in Swedish?] He kissed my nose and chuckled at the dumbfounded expression on my face. "I'll take that as a no."

* * *

It was some time before I came back to myself. I could hear Eric in the shower; he was humming slightly to himself. "Finally back with us Lover?" He called from the bathroom.

"Y..Yeah, I guess so." I said absently, it was a lot to take in. Was it that last blood exchange? Was it the fact I initiated it? Maybe causing some of my fairy stuff to do things with our connection. Eric's voice pulled me from spiralling back into a catatonic state.

"Are you coming to join me now? We have planning do, if you're going to meet with Alcide tomorrow." He inquired.

"I haven't even spoken to him yet, he might not be able to meet me." I called back as I slide from the bed and padded into the bathroom. The sight that greeted me made me lick my lips in appreciation and drew a quiet growl from my chest, _Mine_.

"Kommer min älskling, låt mig tvätta dig". [Come my Lover, let me wash you. Then we can discuss the house.] Taking his outstretched hand in mine he pulled me into the shower. As he began to lather my hair, I couldn't help but slip into his mind. He was chanting _Mine_ over and over. His talented fingers working my scalp produced small moans of appreciation from me. As he manoeuvred me under the spray to rinse the shampoo, I reached up to press my lips to his in a gentle kiss. "Yours" I breathed heavily answering the chant in his mind. He kissed me back with such passion; I had to lean against the tile to stop us toppling over. Our task forgotten, we made love under the gentle spray until the water began to chill.

"I really need a bigger water heater." I groaned as Eric set me down on my feet.

"Yes you do, we can add it to your list for Alcide. Let's get you dry, there is still plenty of the night left for discussion and I want Pam to come out here with some essentials for us.

* * *

Rolling on my side, I opened one eye to check the time; 10.30. Urgh, well at least it wasn't too early. Stretching each limb in turn, I found I was deliciously sore. My lips curled into a broad grin at the thought of what we did last night. Eric truly is a master at making love; it could be an art form all by itself. Chuckling at my silliness, I rolled out of bed and landed with an amount of grace a cat could be proud of. _Gotta love those new reflexes._ Heading to the bathroom I spied a not from Eric, pausing to read the contents before I continued with my routine.

_Min vackra bundna vad jag älskar att titta du sover. My Beautiful bonded how I love to watch you sleep._

_I just wanted to remind you that Alcide is coming at 4 pm to talk about renovations. The Sweeper is coming this evening so we can show him the portal clearing. I don't want you going out there alone after yesterday._

_Make sure you take care of yourself today and try some meditation, the sooner you gain control of your new powers the safer you'll be. I want to try a few things tonight to test your skills and we can begin your training. Please make sure you eat and are well rested before I rise. You'll need to be in top form for what I have planned for you._

_Yours_

_E_

I had tried to find it in me last night to be mad at him for his highhandedness in contacting Alcide without asking me first, but for some reason I just couldn't seem to muster the right amount of anger. He knew I was going to contact him anyway and did it when he had a moment to spare so we could be comfortable here as soon as possible. The old Sookie was quick to anger and lashed out all the time, Eric was right though. If I controlled my emotions I could cope better in the situations I always seemed to find myself in.

Twenty minutes later I was dressed in black yoga pants and a yellow t-shirt, sitting on the front lawn basking in the sunlight and fingering the warm grass beneath me. After a few moments I felt thoroughly relaxed and let my mind wander the area surrounding the farm house; feeling out the energies and calling to the voices of my ancestors to guide me with their wisdom.

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**So there you have it my first go at lemons, please let me know what you think. I'm already working on the next chapter so it should be ready in a few days.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Here you go another update. Just a quick thank you for all the reviews, they really do make me write faster. If you have any thoughts on anything you want to see in this story, I only have a very loose plot I'm working with so I may be able to incorporate some of your ideas. As always let me know what you think.**

**All Characters belong to Charlaine Harris (except Mark he's mine) I'm just borrowing them for a while. I promise to give them back when i'm done.**

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**Chapter 14**

**SPOV**

It was late in the afternoon by the time I came back to myself. My back was stiff and my limbs and head ached, but I had learned so much. The last few hours flashed past my eyes once more as I tried to process what I had learned. I truly was a powerful being; I couldn't wait to show Eric! Thinking about Eric reminded me about his note and my stomach growled at me to further highlight his request to look after myself. I'd got stuck in the energies and lost track of time, I needed to eat. As I let go of the surrounding energy bit by bit, the pang of hunger got stronger and stronger. I was hollow and as I stood to go back inside, I swayed slightly. Waiting for the dizziness to subside, I made my way slowly to the porch and the shade it provided. I began to feel more and more dizzy with ever step I took and the distance seemed too great. Swaying one last time, I finally succumbed and the feeling of falling was the last thing I knew.

I woke with a splitting headache and I felt the most nauseous I have ever been in my life. There was some relief provided by the cool wash cloth on my head, "You coming round a bit now? You had me worried Sook, what happened?" a deep familiar voice asked me. I tried to place it but my head hurt too much and all I could manage was a slight whimper. I tried opening my eyes but even the little bit of light from cracking one eye open caused a blinding pain and I quickly shut it again. It took a few attempts to get the words to form properly, everything hurt so much. But at least my poor mind had worked out the voice belonged to Alcide. "Ring Mr. Catalides... Asked what Diantha found..." I was panting with the effort to string those few words together. I passed out after that, coming back to consciousness a few minutes later when I heard Alcide on the phone, thank God for Supe hearing; I caught snatches of the other side of the conversation but with my head hurting so much it took a lot of effort and soon I was swallowed by the blackness once more.

The next time I woke I felt a cool hand on my chest. It was heavenly, "Try to drink this" a glass was brought to my lips and the cool liquid that hit my tongue caused me to groan in appreciation. Some of the pain subsided and the hand brushed my cheek, "It was too soon" the soothing voice spoke again.

I couldn't understand what he meant but I knew the light was on and I was lying on my worn sofa, I could feel the smooth fabric beneath me and the lumpiness of the cushions only acquired with age. Knowing I was safe I tried opening my eyes again, but quickly cried out as the splitting pain coursed through my head again. "T..Turn it off" I whispered, instantly the light was off and I took a deep breath before trying again. This time I managed to open them fully, the room was dark and cool; it was heavenly. Breathing a sigh of relief I tried to sit up but the pain in my head made me collapse back into the cushions. The glass was once again brought to my lips and I was grateful for the cool liquid.

"Take your time; we think you're over the worst of it." Brushing a stray piece of hair from my face my beautiful mate was right here, everything was right in the world and I settled back down and tried to relax.

Sometime later I was snuggled up next to my Viking who was gently stroking my hair and humming softly. I had finally processed what I remembered and I was ready for some answers. "Eric?"

"Hmmm" he replied never stopping his fingers gentle combing of my hair.

"Do you think you could tell me what happened? I have plenty to tell you about what I found out today but I want to know why I went all weird."

"It was too soon, you are still weak and what you did took a lot of energy that you didn't have. You gave Alcide quite a fright." He was quiet for a few moments, contemplating what he was about to say next, "You called me."

"Called you how?" I was slightly confused, had I called out for him in my delirium? I don't remember if I did.

"Through the bond, you called me. I was able to wake and listen to what was going on. I heard Alcide bringing you in and trying to bring you round. I heard you ask him to call the daemon; I presume you wanted to know if Diantha found out anything about Dr Ludwig, I'm proud of you to think of that while you were feverish." He smiled down at me and it warmed my heart. It was slowly coming back to me what happened, Diantha had indeed found out about Dr Ludwig, apparently she was fine but pissed that someone was impersonating her. She hadn't actually found a fae guide for me yet and had left a message explaining that. Whoever Mark and his little helper were had somehow cleared my message from her and set up the attack in the portal clearing. Once she had been cleared by the daemons, Alcide had rang her and the little doctor had come and seen me. Apparently she had been yelling about the house smelling of bad juju and couldn't believe I had ignored her advice about eating properly and resting. She had given me a shot and insisted that I eat something hearty when I came round and was adamant that I don't try anything too strenuous for at least 3 days. I should probably take some blood too.

"Do you still think something is blocking the bond?" I asked quietly. "Something I learned today might help, but I know I'm too weak right now to try it." Right on queue my stomach rumbled causing Eric to laugh softly.

"Sit right there, I'll prepare something for you and then you can tell me what you learned today." Gently moving me so he could slip out from under me, I watched his gorgeous ass wiggle to the kitchen. He glanced over his shoulder and winked at me. Yeah he knew I was watching, oh what I wanted to do to that body. _Snap out of it Sook! You're far too weak to do anything about those lustful thoughts, best to just let them go._

Five minutes later, Eric returned with a PB & J sandwich with a glass of orange juice. "Mmmm honey you cooked." I joked, causing Eric to chuckle. He handed me the plate and set the glass on the coffee table. I quickly tucked in and was surprised to find the best PB & J sandwich I'd ever had. Complimenting him on his sandwich making abilities I quickly got down to business on what I had learned from my ancestors while I was out on the lawn.

"Some of those skills will come in handy Lover. Now tell me what you think might help the bond." He seemed rather impressed with the range of information I had found out and I couldn't wait to start trying it out.

"It's a simple thing really, I'm not sure if you would call it a spell or a charm or what. But it cleanses the person of any magic done to them. If someone is blocking our bond through magic, it should get rid of it. I mean there has to be magic involved how else would the bond be blocked. You said it was pretty strong and De Castro said it was very strong. Do you think I could try it tomorrow? I mean if I rest and eat some more, maybe take a little of your blood. I really want to try this."

He was quiet for a few moments, I could feel his thoughts churning as he processed what I had told him. Eventually he replied, "You can try it, only if you are rested enough. I don't want you to burn yourself out again. We will have to put on hold tonight's physical training but we still have something's I can teach you. Have you finished?" I nodded and put the plate on the coffee table. "Well let's get you ready for bed and we can talk in there. I just need a few things that Pam dropped off, do you think you can manage getting to you room? I can help with getting you out of your clothes." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and made me snort.

"I think I can manage on my own, if I let you help I'd be even more exhausted." I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and headed off down the hall to my room, while he rummaged around in the bag that Pam brought over.

Eric really did love to share his knowledge, he talked animatedly about strategy and how to use your skills and surroundings to your advantage. There were several books and pieces of paper strewn across the quilt from where he had been showing me bits and pieces that he thought would be useful for me. It was certainly heart warming to see him like this; I don't think I'd ever seen him this excited about something. He truly wanted to impart his knowledge on me and I was all ears. If I could just soak up some of his survival skills; I'd be very happy and maybe, just maybe, the next time trouble came my way, I'd be ready for it. We talked and laughed for a few hours, although I was beginning to flag and my body was losing the battle against sleep. "Lover, please just rest that is the fourth time you have yawned in the last ten minutes. We can continue our discussions tomorrow, you need to take better care of yourself or you'll burn out again." I began to grumble about being a grown woman and knowing when to go to bed.

"Please Lover, look at it this way. If you are not rested and someone tries to take you during the day and I can't stop them. If you don't look after yourself and get your strength back up you won't be able to stop them either." Hearing it that way I reluctantly gave up trying to fight back sleep and let Eric tuck me in. Once I'd given up fighting it, I was asleep within 2 minutes.

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**EPOV**

I can't believe what she can do now, she has the potential to be so powerful if only she would take better care of herself. It would only take a few days of rest and good food and she would be back to full strength, but my Lover is so stubborn and hates not doing anything. At least she has quit that degrading job and the shifters bar. If I can get Alcide to start the renovations he can keep an eye on her and with another breather in the house, he will make sure she eats at the right times. Her Southern manners dictate that she is the perfect hostess and provide guests with food and beverages. Yes I must contact Alcide and get him started tomorrow. He can at least start clearing out the junk and I'm sure Sookie will want to help but he will stop her doing too much. I wonder if I could persuade her to get a day companion, someone to talk to and help her with everyday chores, like a personal assistant. I think I'll contact the daemon and see if he can recommend someone. With just a small plan of action I slowly leave the bed so as not to disturb my sleeping mate and head out to the sitting room to make my calls.

"Cataliades, I need a day companion/ personal assistant for Sookie. I'm concerned that she is not taking care of herself properly. She has been told numerous times to rest and eat properly and she has ignored all advice and it keeps catching up with her. Do you know anyone who can help? It would be useful if they have some fae heritage. I know she would get stronger if she had contact with a fairy, Dr Ludwig suggested that she needs to spend time with other fae or she will get depressed again. I have been trying my best to keep her in good spirits but it doesn't take much to cause her to spiral."

"Hello Northman, yes I have in fact got someone who can help you. I had given Sookie a list of those she can trust but obviously she has disregarded it. I can email it to you so at least you have a copy too. There is just two on the list that would make good companions, one is half fae. That may be your best bet on getting enough contact for her wellbeing. Would you like me to contact her? I believe she is on this side of the Atlantic at the moment."

"She sounds like just what I'm looking for, it's probably best if you contact her. I'm sure she is wary of vampires, you'll have to reassure her that I have no intention of eating her." I chuckle.

"Not a problem Northman, I shall contact her tonight and I'll keep you updated." Hanging up, I make my second call of the evening.

"Alcide, I need you to come out to Sookie's again tomorrow. If you can keep an eye on her and make sure she eats regularly and rests as much as possible. If you help her clear out the house and discuss the plans for the renovations. I would be grateful." As much as it pains me to be civil to the Were, he has been helpful at times and he is a good fighter if she needs protection during the day.

"Sure Northman, I can be out there first thing. That way I can bring breakfast with me and we can get the renovations squared away and get started this week. Business is slow at the moment what with the state of the economy and the slowdown of the reconstruction projects. My boys are grateful for the work she's throwing our way."

"She's asleep right now but I'll leave her a note to expect you tomorrow. Goodnight." I hang up just in time to hear the Sweeper approach. I guess I'll just have to show him the portal clearing myself. Opening the door before he knocks, I gesture to wait one minute and quickly head back to Sookie's room to check on her before I go out. I don't want to leave her in the house alone but I don't really have much of a choice. We need the surveillance set up ASAP and I can't wake her when she is in such need of rest. Bending down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead, she mumbles incoherently in her sleep and roles over to face me, catching my face with her arm and causing her to groan. I give her arm a quick rub to make sure she hasn't hurt herself too badly and quickly make my way to the front door and out into the night.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Just a word of warning, this chapter contains some torture. So if its not your thing best skip down the Nevada bit and just PM me if you want to know what happens without the bloody bits.**

**Just wanted to let you all know that I have this story on Wordpress too, just incase now I'm writing things people may take offense too. **

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**Chapter 15**

_Nevada_

He was late; checking his watch one more time as he rushed down the hallway. Coming to the big door at the end he listened carefully before silently slipped into the room. Making his way to the crowd at the far end he approached a vampire at the edge of the crowd, "How much did I miss?"

Turning slowly the vampire looked him up and down with disgust, "I believe you missed enough," before turning to ignore him and focus back on the spectacle in front of him. He could just about see what was going on. There was a vampire on his knees, head bowed in submission and the King was sitting tall on his throne giving off an air of authority. The crowd was silent as they awaited their king's justice. It was like watching a car crash happen an awful thing to witness but you can't help yourself and gawk anyway. The poor bastard on his knees this evening had fed from another vampires pet. The punishment usually involved removal of fangs and a year or two in a silver lined coffin; the starvation alone would be crippling. What was surprising about this evening's entertainment was the leniency of the Kings punishment. The vampire lost his fangs yes, but then was free to go. Instantly he was suspicious of what was happening, something wasn't right and when two large guards grabbed his arms he knew he was in deep shit.

His mind was frantically trying to come up with what exactly he had done to incur the King's wrath. The only thing he could come up with was that he had yet to procure the telepath. But the King had given him leave to continue on with his database and had released him of his obligation of watching the sheriff and the telepath. The guards marched him through the crowd and pushed him onto his knees in front of the King; the crowd baying for blood, his blood. With a wave of the King's hand, silence surrounded him; he bowed his head in submission and awaited his fate.

Eventually the King addressed him, "Well?"

That didn't give him much to go on so he tried to only give minimal answers, not wanting to give away his mission in front of the crowd; it was a grave offense to interfere with a bonded pair and he had been doing just that for his King. "I am sorry if his Majesty is displeased with me but I'm not entirely sure what I have done." Keeping his tone submissive and his head bowed, perhaps he could get out of this with just a small monetary punishment.

"Let me enlighten you. You promised me that you could give me certain information, which you half heartedly delivered and when I asked for results, you were unable to produce them. I have given you ample time to come up with something and yet you give me nothing. What am I going to do with you?" He shook his head at the last bit but the triumphant gleam in his eye let him know he wasn't getting out of this without some pain inflicted. Compartmentalising his mind was the only way to deal with pain and he tried to quickly slot his thoughts away behind their own mental doors before the punishment began.

"Forgive me for failing you, Your Majesty. It was not my intention to do so and I take full responsibility for being unable to give you the information you required." He replied quickly.

There was a blur of movement to the left and then blinding pain as the glowing brand was slammed into the side of his face. He could not suppress the cry that left his lips but he reigned himself in after the initial shock of pain and remained silent as the heated silver brand was held securely to his face. He could feel the metal melting his skin and the resistance as it came in contact with his skull. Slowly the vision in his left eye failed him as the surrounding flesh was burned away and soon his eyeball followed. The second guard held him fast although he didn't struggle for release. The King wouldn't damage him too much he was far too valuable, he revelled in the security that gave him so when the next words to leave the King's mouth were '_bring the box'_ his hope fell. But he would not beg; he had seen vampires beg to not go in the box and it just added to their sentence. Biting his tongue to keep him from saying anything he allowed himself to be dragged across the floor and dumped into one of the more creative punishments for a vampire. The clear glass box was just big enough for a man to sit in and the top had a small hatch that opened. Through this hatch was thrown various things to torment the prisoner, silver powder and rats were amongst Felipe's favourite. The silver powder burned and weakened the vampire, while the rats would be drawn to the blood and nibble on the body. Being slowly eaten and burned all while providing a warning to others who could watch you through the glass was not what he thought was in his future. His thoughts flashed to the telepath and his hopes at being able to taste her again both blood and body were slipping through his fingers. The King did not share and he did not like to be failed. He willed his mind into downtime as the first handful of silver was thrown in from above, followed by 3 large brown rats. His last thought before the pain overwhelmed him was I'm here for at least 30days.

_Amun Clan Council_

The thirteen that made up the council never met in one place, after Rhodes it was deemed far too unsafe to have them all in one room regardless of how much faith they had in their guards. They had not got where they were by making rash decisions and this meeting was far overdue. Two of their number were missing and they wanted them back. They wanted to rain down their vengeance upon the one who had taken what belonged to them, had weakened their position and left others ripe for the picking. Rumours were circling that Michigan was next, not that there were many vampires in the state it was becoming a matter of principle. Each of the thirteen were video conferencing in a secure location within each state. As each of the screens came alive one by one and they greeted each other with a polite nod. When they were all online Kentucky began the opening formalities as it was his turn to host the council. Mid sentence the fourteenth screen flickered to life, causing a wave of surprise to ripple through the rest. On the fourteenth screen was the Ancient One, never had she graced them with her presence without being called upon. It didn't bode well for someone when the Ancient One came looking for you. One thought flashed through each of them in turn, is it us she wants or are the Moshup's the ones to feel her wrath? Let's hope its them and not us.

_Niall_

"What do you mean you can't get near the property?" Niall was fuming and the fairy in front of him was cause of his current rage.

"Exactly what I said your Highness; there is a strong barrier around the property, it is similar to our magic but not quite the same. I have never come across it before, I cannot explain to you where it came from nor what its purpose is." The messenger informed him, Niall waved his hand and the young fairy was dismissed, leaving him in a room full of his nobles. His outburst was most unwise in front of his court, brushing the thought aside for now; he wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Rising from his throne he walked quickly past the large columns and into the gardens beyond the palace walls effectively dismissing his nobles, but knowing there would be questions whispered at his behaviour. Once he had left the bustle of court he could take in the fresh air and clear his mind of the extra noise and really focus on the problem at hand. Someone had warded the property to what end he did not know, perhaps just one portal could be opened long enough to slip through. Shaking his head to dismiss that idea; it hadn't even been a year, there was no way he could let it get out he had gone back on his decision so soon. His people would lose faith in him and he had only just gained ground over the small rebellions remaining from the recent conflict. No it would not do to let it get out he was nipping off to the human realm to check on a human regardless of his relationship with them. It was bad enough the messenger had come in the middle of an open court session. Thinking he was bringing news of the latest skirmish he had allowed him to speak freely. Damn it, well it's too late now he would have to act more carefully from now on and that meant he couldn't leave the realm himself but he could send a message. Leaving the serenity of the gardens, he strode purposefully to his study. The large room had quite the collection of books and he quickly identified the one he needed. Lighting the lamp before he sat at his desk he mentally steadied himself before getting down to the task at hand, making notes for the things he would need; this was going to take a lot of power and focus to accomplish.

Sometime later he was ready. Summoning his magic around him, the symbols on the floor began to glow and the air crackled with energy. He chanted quietly the words needed to bend the energy to his will and punch through the barrier that separated time and space. It was a complex process and if it wasn't done correctly it would trap him in the in-between. But he had no need to fear, his magic was strong, he would succeed, his message would get through and finally he would find out what the hell was going on.

_Sookie_

The glow around Sookie grew bright, but no one was in the house to notice. She showed no sign of distress while she slept, although the air around her crackled with energy. Her lips pulled up in a small smile and she began to whisper strange words that caused wisps of light to leave her body and float in the air of her bedroom. The wisps slowly gathered to form a cage that buzzed with energy. A deep sigh escaped her once the cage sealed itself, her body knew she was now safe and nothing could hurt her. Something was coming and her subconscious couldn't decide whether it was friend or foe.

_Eric_

Eric was in the woods at the fairy portal helping the Sweeper fix surveillance cameras to the trees. His ability to fly was very helpful and made the job go that much quicker and he was thankful for the speed he was accomplishing his task. The clearing made him uneasy and he kept his mind alert, ready for any possible attack. Not sensing anyone in the surrounding area, but the energies pouring off the portal troubled him and caused his fingers to kick into vamp speed. Surely a closed portal shouldn't give off that much raw power? Just as he finished with the last camera, a pulse of energy blasted out of the portal knocking him to the ground.

"What the fuck was that?" The Sweeper cried as he picked himself up from the ground, he too had been knocked back by the power of the blast.

"If you have finished connecting the cameras test them quickly, we need to leave this place. Something is happening and I'd rather not be here when it does. We can watch what happens from the house." Eric glared at the portal which was now glowing softly while he waited for the sweeper to quickly check all was working properly. He hadn't brought any weapons with him and was now feeling foolish for not doing so. He had not survived this long by being sloppy; but he could finish chastising himself later, they needed to leave now. The Sweeper closed his laptop and gave him a nod, moving at vamp speed he grabbed the Sweeper and took to the air. Zipping back to the house before all hell broke loose. Tonight was not a good night to be without an iron weapon; the fairies were doing something to the portal and he had a bad feeling something was trying to come through.

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**So there is chapter 15, its slowly coming together but I guess were still at the start of this story and there are still a few twists and turns before we get to the end. Let me know what you think and if your all still interested in finding out what happens to our favourite part fairy telepath.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry if this one isn't up to scratch, I only read through it once but I'm too tired to check it again so you'll just have to bare with it. Let me know if it has any bits that don't make sense and I'll re check it when I'm more awake.**

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**Chapter 16**

**SPOV**

I was in room dimly lit by a few candles, I couldn't quite see the walls but the floor was adorned by a series of symbols, they reminded me a bit of some I had once seen in Amelia's mind. I wasn't sure how long I had been standing there when I heard a throat clear behind me.

"Child" I'd know that voice anywhere, I whipped round and flung myself into the outstretched arms of my great grandfather. He chuckled at my enthusiasm but it didn't stop him giving me a hard squeeze right back. I let myself sink into his warm embrace basking in his scent and magic. Well that was new, I'd never noticed how sweet he smelt I had to restrain myself as the urge to lick him became overwhelming and just how could I feel his magic? I'd hugged him before but I'd never felt anything like this before.

He kissed my hair and loosened his grip indicating he wanted me to follow suit. If it had been up to me I'd of stayed like that forever. "I don't have much time child. Come, sit with me and tell me what has been happening in your life. I know there have been some changes." The instant he invited me to sit I became aware of two leather wingback chairs that reminded me of something out of an old English mansion. As I sat the rest of the room cane into focus, the walls were lined with books and there was a large desk at one end. It was quite a substantial sized room and magic hung heavy in the air.

"I'm so happy to see you grandfather, so much has happened of late I'm not sure where to start, Can I ask where we are before I get started?" he gave me an indulgent smile before he replied.

"I needed to speak to you and this was the most expedient way to go about it. I believe you are dreaming and I have brought your Spark through into my world. We are currently in my study." Wow I mean what can you say to something like that.

"Will my body be ok without my spark in it?" a slight ripple of panic rushed through me at the thought of my body being back in my bed defenceless.

"Yes, you can't stay too long but you will be fine, you released your own magic as I weave my spell to bring you here. You are well protected. Now tell me what has been going on, I have had some most disturbing reports." he patted my hand in a caring gesture and looked at me expectantly. It didn't take me as long as I thought it would to explain what had happened to me after he had sealed the portals. His eyes flashed with surprise when I explained about my emerging powers but he didn't interrupt so I kept going.

"I'm rather disturbed to hear about this strange fairy, he is not one of my people. I shall get Charles to make some enquiries as to who he is affiliated with and then we can work on some protection for you. You are right to be cautious around the portal in your woods. Although I did seal them from this side, the fae in the human realm can still pass back through, I can feel your spark is much stronger than it was, it won't be long until the magic within the portal will recognise you as fae and allow you entrance to the realm. This could cause problems for both of us. No doubt your Viking will tear the world asunder to get you back and the rebels here would stop at nothing to try and gain the upper hand. You would once again be used as a pawn by my enemies." his face saddened, he must be thinking of my last run in with his enemies.

"I wanted to talk to you about my emerging powers; can you help me with them? The remembering is great but it's not always reliable and I'm scared it won't help me when I really need it." I'm not sure what kind of reply I was expecting but what he said next made me want to weep for joy.

"Of course I can, it can be done quite simply but I must warn you it can be painful to gain all the knowledge at once." he smiled again and when I nodded my answer he placed his hand over my heart. I could feel warmth radiate out from his touch, across my chest down my arms to my fingers, down my legs and up to my head. The warm feeling began to get warmer and I shifted slightly, this wasn't too bad but it didn't take long before it was no longer warm but hot and then it was searing wave after wave of blinding heat. I thought I'd surely cook, but eventually it began to diminish and I felt no different than before.

I looked at him sceptically and he just chuckled at my expression, "When you wake you will know all." he said simply and soon we fell into comfortable conversation. It felt wonderful to have someone to talk to about everything. I mean Eric was great but he could only help me with so much. Niall was good enough to tell me he though Eric was doing quite a good job with me and when he told me that I'd soon get a handle on my emotions and it was just a symptom of my maturing spark I was so happy. But soon it was time for me to go back. I didn't want to leave, I was comfortable in his presence and I knew I would miss the contact terribly. I really did need to be near another fairy, I'd have to really try my hardest to find someone with at least some fae blood in them. I understood now; my spark would fade and I would wither. I wasn't about to let that happen and I doubted Eric would either.

**EPOV**

As soon as I had past the threshold of the house, I knew something was definitely wrong. There was a strong thrum of magic in the air. Rushing to Sookie's bedroom I tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. Pushing harder I heard a buzz of power as it opened a fraction and hit a barrier of some kind. I called her name loudly but there was no answer. My mind raced as I tried to work out how to get in there and make sure she was ok. I could still hear her heartbeat so that was good, I just needed to see what was going on so I could get rid of this damn feeling of helplessness. I am Vampire I don't feel helpless. A sudden thought struck me; the window! Zipping out the door and round the side of the house, I hovered slightly to get a good look at what was happening inside my Lover's room.

Lying on the bed glowing brightly was Sookie, she appeared to be sleeping peacefully but the air rippled with energy and where I had opened the door there was clearly a visual incarnation of the power swirling inside the room. The sight of the slight charring of the door as it came in contact with whatever force field was in there caused me to retract the hand that was inching towards the glass. Seeing my Lover at peace, I focused on my surroundings checking for any potential threats. Sookie was clearly protecting herself from outside influences, could she have detected an attack? I couldn't detect anything in the immediate vicinity. Not even that spying bastard Compton.

It must have been what 3 days since I last caught his scent around the perimeter. Perhaps he had gone back to his master with his tail between his legs. The guy was a world class idiot if he thought he was being stealthy. I could hear him blundering around like an elephant in the woods. You'd of thought after nearly two hundred years he would have at least had some clue as to how to approach his target quietly. Hmm I hope the King does something unpleasant to him. Pulling out my phone I dial my contact in Nevada, at least I should be able to confirm if Creepy Compton is enjoying the King's hospitality.

**SPOV**

Upon waking I was very disorientated, my body felt heavy and cumbersome. Taking a deep breath I could smell the magic in the air but with ever subsequent breath I could tell it was dissipating. After a few moments I felt grounded enough to attempt sitting up, taking in my surrounds I was relieved to find I was still in my bed. Rocking my body to gain momentum to swing my legs over the side of the bed caused a blinding pain in my head. I cried out at the force of it, falling back down to the bed I willed the pain to subside but it was a fuitile effort. Just as I thought the pain couldn't possibly get any worse, a series of images, thoughts and information rushed through my mind. I felt like an empty glass being filled to the top and the after effects where euphoric. I felt warm and loved and most importantly of all I felt whole. An undefined amount of time must of past while I basked in my new found knowledge and the feelings it brought out in me. I realised I was being lovingly held and talented fingers were stroking my face.

"So you have decided to come back to me?" My vampire mumbled. Placing a kiss on my hair he pulled me closer into his chest.

It took me a mome t to find my voice but I managed half a groan before I could form real words. "Hey" my voice sounded tired. Clearing my throat I tried again, "Did I really go somewhere? Niall promised my body would be safe here."

"You aren't making much sense Lover, when did you see Niall?" Confusion was clear in his voice.

"Sorry honey, I guess I had an out of body experience. My Spark was with Niall in the fae realm and my body remained here." And with that I began to explain all I had experienced and found out from Niall and the subsequent 'remembering'. When I had finished, I turned slightly so I could get a look at his face. I couldn't stop the laughter his expression caused. I'd never seen such an array of emotions on someone's face before and it was quite comical. It was a combination of awe, surprise and disbelief all rolled into one. Dragging my eyes away from his face I glanced at the clock, seeing it was only 2am I slapped his leg playfully to get his attention, "Come on we still have time to try out some of my new skills and I've got a bond to fix." Hoping out of bed I quickly grabbed some sweats to put on. I was heading for the door when I realised Eric still hadn't moved. "Come on now big boy I wanna show you what I can do." He still didn't move. "Eric! Come on we haven't got all night." Those last words seem to snap him back to awareness and he silently followed me out the door and into the night.

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**So I presuming you all knew the vampire spying on them was Bill and I'm sorry I thought this was the best place to end this one. I promise we shall find out what Sookie can do in the next chapter. Were coming up to some major world changing events so it may take me a few chapters to get to the action, please bare with me while I set the scene. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed my little story, I finally hit 100 reviews and I love you all for each and every one of them.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: The Sookieverse belongs to Charliane Harris, I'm just borrowing some bits and bobs. I'll give them back I promise :)**

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**SPOV**

Sweaty, dirty and tired I walked back towards the house laughing. Having spent the last 4 hours sparring with Eric I expected to be much worse off than I was. Before I could take more than a few steps I sensed a vampire heading my way at speed, we had discovered with my improved control - curtsey of Mr. C- I had the capability to follow targets moving at vamp speed. It had certainly given me the upper hand in our games tonight which is probably why I wasn't as battered as I could have been. Just as Eric was about to pounce, I popped to the other end of the yard and made myself invisible. At first I thought invisibility was so cool, but we soon discovered that although my body was 'gone' my scent and heartbeat could still be detected. Making it slightly less useful than I originally thought, I could still use it when dealing with humans just not with Supes and it would still buy me some time with Supes while they realised I hadn't popped away completely; giving me back the edge I might need in certain situations. Unfortunately Eric was now wise to the tricks I had used so far and it didn't take him long to pin point me again. But I was ready for him, using my summoning ability, I called some rope. Briefly using my favourite new ability, I tapped into Eric's vamp speed and soon I had whizzed round him a few times and pulled the end of the rope effectively tying him up.

"Very clever Lover, but you know rope won't hold a vampire for long." He tensed his muscles trying to break the rope and I just grinned back at him. This was no ordinary rope; it had silver and iron threads braided along with the nylon which gave it the impression of being just ordinary rope. While he was still wrestling with his bonds, I had called a small silver tipped dagger and held it against his chest. His eyes sparkled with pride and a touch of awe. My grin grew wider as he dropped his head in defeat.

"Woohoo" I punched the air and jumped around like a mad woman, I had got the best of a thousand year old vampire. I wasn't completely convinced he didn't let me win but I didn't care anyway. How many times can you say you beat the Viking?

Clearing his throat he called out to me, "Do you think you could untie me and let me in on your little secret." I was buzzing with my own triumph, but I should have remembered what my Gran used to say, 'pride goeth before the fall' just as I loosened his bonds he was on me pinning me to the ground nuzzling my neck.

"Never trust a vampire, when you have them at your mercy." Giving my neck a gentle nip with his blunt teeth, he pulled back to look me in the eye. "So Lover, how exactly did you manage that brilliant display? Talk me through your thinking and which abilities you used." Every time one of us had been pinned he asked me the same thing. Dissecting each of my moves and helping me come up with useful strategies. It was a fun way to learn how to strategise in the heat of the moment.

"Well I knew my best chance was to incapacitate you somehow and I didn't want to hurt you either, so at first I was just trying to buy me a bit of time and distance to think clearly long enough to form a plan. The abilities I used there were teleporting and invisibility. Once I had come up with a plan I summoned the rope and used my enhanced speed to tie you up and summon the dagger." I finished with a grin.

"I know your holding something back from me, you cannot lie to me lover." He replied with a wry smile.  
I really didn't want to admit to the ability to replicate others powers. It normally required touching someone first for the ability to kick in but I cheated slightly and used our connection through blood to tap into his vamp speed. It was only a onetime thing as far as I could tell and the 'donor' had no knowledge of me tapping their power. Well Eric certainly didn't seem too. Releasing a heavy sigh I gave into his expectant glare.

"I tapped into your vamp speed" I mumbled. Eric continued to glare at me, obviously expected more of an explanation. "Fine, I can replicate abilities. It's only temporary and as far as I can tell the 'donor' doesn't even know I'm doing it. It's not like I'm stealing the ability just copying it." Silence surrounded us; Eric was just gazing off into the distance, I guess it takes some getting used to. Five minutes later he was still away with the fairies so I decided to head back to the house for a nice hot bath. This time I made all the way to the bathroom. Bending over the tub, I turned on the water and swirled in some of my favourite bubble bath. Walking back into my room to put on a little music, stripping my filthy clothes off and dumping them in the hamper on my way back to the bathroom. Quickly throwing out my mind to check Eric was still out there. Yup his mind was a tangled mess of strange words and colours; must be still processing my confession.

Snagging a towel from the rack to use as a pillow, I lowered myself into the steamy water. I couldn't wait to get a new tub, this one was a little on the small side and I had to bend my knees slightly so I'd fit. Closing my eyes I allowed myself to just enjoy the moment. After a few moments I began to make a mental list of my new abilities and possible uses, so I could discuss them with Eric whenever he managed to pull himself back into the here and now. I still had the bond to fix at some point tonight, I didn't want it to be weakened any longer than it had to be. It put us both at a disadvantage which could be fatal. We still didn't know how De Castro was going to take the news of my ability.

Eric appeared in the doorway as I was leaving the tub, I'd been soaking long enough to get pruney. He zipped in front of me and gathered my body in a towel. "Thanks Honey. You plotted and planed enough now? Care to share?" I batted his arms away and grabbed my nighty.

"This replication ability you have is very powerful, it has many possibilities." I took his pause to add my own ideas.

"Yeah, I know. Like if I was attacked by a Were again, I could probably shift. I think I could even copy learnt skills too, so your skills with a sword or your battle knowledge." I was getting excited all over again just thinking of the possibilities that was until Eric said what was on his mind.

"Have you considered you could copy a vampire's ability to heal? You said it was temporary. How long does it last?"

"Erm... I'm not sure," I tried to vamp speed to the kitchen and back without tapping into the blood. Although I was quicker than I would be normally it was wearing off slowly. Checking the time, I had copied the ability about an hour ago. That wasn't that bad, Supe skirmishes were usually over quickly anyway. But what did that matter if I could just re-tap into the power with a slight touch. "It's been about an hour and it's wearing off. We can play with it some other time, find out its limitations and stuff. Right now I have a bond to fix, come on I need my knife and some other stuff."

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**EPOV**

I sat at the kitchen table while Sookie was buzzing around the kitchen gathering the items she needed to fix our bond. She reminded me of a hummingbird, flitting from one cupboard to the next with a content smile on her lips. She always seems happiest when she has something to keep her busy. It made me reassess my opinion of her again. All the times I had mentioned quitting her stupid job and every time I hit a brick wall with her. It wasn't just about the money and keeping her shields practiced. She needed to keep busy; no matter what she was doing she rarely sat still for long. Even though she had her abilities to practice at the moment, she would still need a purpose to fill her time. He would talk to her later about what she would like to do. He had learned a long time ago you could never force Sookie to do anything or do anything for her with being treated with suspicion and having it thrown back in your face. She had changed since her torture but you never can tell with Sookie; best to err on the side of caution.

"I'm all set, we're gonna need to go out in the yard. Can you grab a blanket and meet me out there?" Her words broke me out of my musing. She bounced out of the back door and I went in search of that hideous afghan she was so fond of.

When I got outside, she was in the process of lighting some candles. She had placed them in a circle on the grass and indicated that I should lay the afghan in the centre. After my task was complete she kneeled on the blanket and gestured me to copy her position. Facing each other I couldn't help but admire the way the moonlight hit her hair and the way her eyes sparkled as she gazed back at me. She was truly beautiful and she was mine.

Taking my large hand in her small one, she reached for the ceremonial knife she had summoned while fighting the Weres and a crystal goblet placing them both between us. With her eyes closed, she began to chant a series of words I had never heard. The inscription on the knife glowed bright and with a quick swipe she slashed both our wrists holding them over the goblet which filled with our combined blood. When it was halfway full and my wound had healed, I turned her wrist over to heal her wound but was shocked to see it too had healed. Flicking my eyes up to meet hers she smiled, I quickly realised she had done as I suggested earlier and tapped into my healing ability. It pleased me no end that she had actually listened to what I had said and I grinned right back at her. Holding her hand over the goblet of blood she chanted some words again, the air crackled with energy and light shot from her hand into the blood causing it to bubble.

Once she was finished chanting, she handed the goblet to me. Putting the glass to my lips I inhaled the fragrance of our combined blood it made my spine tingle and when the liquid touched my tongue I almost came in my pants. My eyes dilated and my fangs dropped instantly, I was truly spoilt for all other blood now I had tasted this. It was the most delicious blood I had ever tasted; rich and spicy with a hint of fairy and magic. I handed the goblet to Sookie; afraid if I held it any longer I'd drain the glass. Accepting the goblet with a smile she drank the remaining blood and the instant the last drop left the glass a bright light surrounded us which pulsed and vibrated before it began to diminish.

Placing the goblet and knife to one side, she leaned forward to kiss me. Suddenly filled with desire I gave into my urge to deepen the kiss. My passion was matched by hers and I just had to feel her skin against mine. In a flash I had removed her nightgown and my own clothes. Pushing her down on the blanket I gazed at her beautiful body laid out just for me. The small whine of impatience that escaped her lips was all the encouragement I needed and I quickly dove between her legs. Nipping, sucking and plunging my fingers into her. It didn't take me long to send her over the edge, begging me the whole time for more. My dick throbbed as I took it in hand and lined us up, I couldn't stand not being inside her anymore and judging by her moans neither could she. A groan erupted from both of us as I slid all the way inside her. Moving slowly, rhythmically, gently stroking that most sensitive place inside her and bringing her closer to edge once again.

Keeping my pace slow and gentle, I tried to convey all my feelings for her through my movements. Soon she was falling once more. The mischievous expression that flashed across her face was the only warning I received when she rolled us over with a strength that surprised me. The glint in her eye told me she was done with slow and gentle, she wanted wild and rough. Setting a fast pace, she slammed herself down on me hard over and over; digging my fingers in her hips guiding her down on me faster and faster. We rolled again and soon we were biting, scratching and growling. Kicking it up to vampire speed, she continued to match me thrust for thrust. That beautiful moment was coming closer for both of us and when she bit into my neck and drew blood, my instincts took over and I sunk my fangs in to her neck completing the circle. That final exchange caused our bond to rip wide open, I could feel her once again the relief and joy washed over me and her feelings combined with my own sent us both over the edge.

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The sleepy town of Bon Temps was just like any other small town in America. Everyone knew each other and exciting things rarely happened. The outside world seldom interrupted the day to day lives of its inhabitants. But that night even the most ordinary humans felt the wave of power wash over the town. The rumour mill went to work instantly and in the days that followed, the residents of Bon Temps noticed more outsiders in their town; outsiders that looked strange and acted weird. Supernaturals of all kinds were drawn to the area; it called to them like a siren song. They could feel the power washing over the town and they wanted it.

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**A/N: So there we have it, the bond is back and the enemies are gathering at the gates. Thanks for all the reviews, favs and alerts you guys are great. Don't forget to check out my wordpress page. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: All mistakes are my own, hopefully there aren't that many.**

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**SPOV**

The summons arrived the next afternoon, Alcide had arrived just after and I had to keep dragging my attention back to the renovation. It was so hard not to let my wander. Being summoned in front of a clan council was not a small thing, even I could understand the magnitude of the situation and I knew next to nothing about vampire politics. My mind tumbled through several possible scenarios and I had to physically shake myself out of my anxiety attack and refocus on Alcide a couple of times. What would my Gran say about ignoring a guest? The thought of Gran's chastisement brought a sad smile to my face but it worked enough to clear my mind for the moment and I was able to sketch out an outline plan for the renovation. Alcide was very helpful and added suggestions here and there. I got from his thoughts that he could tell I was distracted by something but he brushed it off as none of his business after how he had treated me after his father's death. I was grateful for him not prying into my life. He was here as a contractor and I appreciated his professional attitude. It certainly made a change to the usual crap that seemed to come out of men's mouths around me. Concluding our business I handed him a key and informed him that it would be easier for all concerned, I had no idea what I'd be doing over the next few weeks but I had a feeling I'd be pretty busy. The air seemed heavy and oppressive like the silence before the storm. I was scared but excited at the prospect of a fight. I must be hanging round with vampires too much. After waving Alcide off with promises that he would get a crew down here by the morning, I was left to the silence of my house and the chaos of my swirling thoughts.

_The air was hot and dry and I could taste ash on my tongue. My lips were cracked and my eyes stung. Looking around I was standing amidst rubble, smoke swirling all around me. My skin was glowing brightly, helping me to pick out vague shapes in the smoke and dust. I was vaguely aware of screams and groans in the distance, but it was completely inconsequential to me. It reminded me of Rhodes but with one major difference; Me. I was completely unmoved by the horror surrounding me. It took me a few moments to really process what I was in the middle of. I had done this, I had caused such destruction and yet I felt like me but didn't feel like me at the same time. There was something odd, something not quite right, like I was observing from a small corner inside myself. It felt like I had a huge gaping hole in my chest where Eric used be the other half of my soul was missing and I had become unhinged._

_Releasing another wave of searing light from my body, the screams and groans stopped. I gazed around at the destruction I had caused. The manic smile I was wearing diminished when I finally noticed the glass box to my left; surely it shouldn't still be standing? I had raised the surround building to the ground. It can't be possible. Nibbling picking my way through the blocks of masonry and plaster; past the flaking remains of vampires, I observed the charred body of a vampire within. Despite the charring I could still recognise Bill Compton. The manic smile was back and an evil chuckle escaped my lips._

_"Well well, I never thought I'd see you again. How ya doing Billy boy?" I sneered as he panted through his pain, confusion clear on his face before a spark of recognition graced his blackened features._

_"Sookie, is that you?" He choked out. "What the hell happened to you?"_

_"Your King took something that was mine, so I destroyed him and all that was his." Shrugging at my words I began to walk away from the vampire who ruined my life._

_"Wait please don't leave me here, I'll die when the sun comes up." I could hear the pleading in his voice but chose to ignore it. He could die with the rest of the world; I didn't give a shit about any of it anymore. Halting my retreat, I turned my head back to watch his reaction to my next words._

_"I know" I smiled gleefully. "Do you think I care if you live or die Bill Compton? Perhaps it's not your day to die; perhaps someone will come and investigate the destruction? And if by some grace of god they do, do me a favour." In true cartoon villain style I paused for dramatic effect, "Tell the rest of your kind none of you are safe. I'll destroy you all for what you have done to me." Spitting out the last words I strode off into the smoke._

"Sookie... Sookie." I was brought out of my trance by Eric shaking me and calling my name. His beautiful blue eyes were full of worry but at least the panic was retreating from them. I never liked to see him scared; it always reminded me of the time he was cursed and what we had lost at the end of it.

"What happened? I felt... I felt like I'd lost you?" His voice cracked slightly, Unsure of what had happened to me, to him, the bond; it really wasn't a good look on the normally confident Viking.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to come to terms with the fact that I might be having visions and if what I saw was the future I wasn't looking forward to living it. Cradling his face in my small hands I brushed my thumb across his cheeks to sooth him, as I tried to form into words what I had just seen.

"I think I had a vision" I said softly, "It was not..."I couldn't think of an appropriate word to describe it so I settled for, "...Pleasant. Something had happened to you and judging by the hole I felt in my chest I can only think you had been killed. I was filled with such anger and an overwhelming need for vengeance. I had destroyed a King and his Kingdom; I think it was De Castro, I think he killed you and I... I was... a monster." I chocked crushing myself against his cold hard chest. "I was soulless" I wailed, his t-shirt was fast becoming soaked but he didn't interrupt and just sent wave after wave of calm through our newly strengthened bond, while I rambled on about what I had seen. In the vision I had felt no remorse for what I had done, I had relished the pain I inflicted upon guilty and innocent alike. But what freaked me out the most was the raw power I had wielded and I knew it wasn't even half of what I was capable of. Which just raised one question; just how powerful could I become?

"It has begun," she croaked rousing from the vision. "The end has been set in motion; if nothing is done about it, it will be the end for all of us." Her words hung thickly in the air.

The summons had been sent but it still wasn't clear if it would be in time to stop this path to destruction. The next few hours were a hazy mess; no matter what she tried a clear path couldn't be seen. The world was in flux and it could easily lead to the annihilation of all. After replaying her last vision again trying to find the tipping point or something, anything she could use. She was struck by an idea, it had a slim chance of working but it was better than letting events unfold as she had forseen.

"Get me the Daemon!" She called to her handmaidens.

In the woods surrounding the small town of Bon Temps the air was filled with a veritable smorgasbord of creatures. Never had that many species gathered in close proximity before; even those from other dimensions had gathered. Small fights broke out between the lesser species, while those higher up the food chain watched on with feign interest. They were all here for the same reason, there was a very powerful being in the area and they were just waiting for it to show itself. Some thought they would be able to harness its incredible power. Believing there was strength in numbers and they certainly had numbers. The rest were merely curious as to what could hold such power, they held back clearly not wanting to be wiped out should the power source not take kindly to being surrounded.

A group of elves stood to one side whispering between themselves. Their yellow eyes watching the others congregated; ever cautious of a sudden attack. These were part of the latter grouping, but their reason for hanging back was slightly different as they had some idea as to what was creating the power. There had been stories going back centuries in their culture, about the fae evolving. The details were not clear as to what caused the sudden change; all that was known was that whatever they evolved to was far more dangerous than those assembled now combined. It would be a powerful being, with the ability to lay waste to all worlds with the flick of a wrist. The elves had long worshiped these beings, although one had not been seen in many a lifetime. They had felt the power call to them from their realm and come to this world to pledge their fealty.

Quietly they mocked the aggressive creatures around them, did they not realise when the exalted one emerges there will be no capturing it to harness its power. It simply wasn't possible to contain such a creature. It had no weakness and its strength was unrivalled. It will be quite entertaining to watch such magnificence in action.

**SPOV**

Under Eric's comforting embrace and soothing words I had managed to come to terms with at least some aspect of the vision. His pragmatic side had taken over and he promised me he would do everything in his power to not get himself killed. Seem as though that was the major tipping point for unhinged me going all vengeful badass on everyone. Deciding to push the vision and all its implications to one side for the moment. I pulled out the council summons from between some bills where I had hastily stuffed it earlier. I hadn't wanted to get Alcide interested in it. He was already aware I had been distracted, Weres were terrible gossips and the less he knew about my business the better. I may be a 'friend of the pack' but it wouldn't stop them from causing unintentional harm by spreading rumours about me and Eric.

Quickly handing it over to Eric, I waited patiently for his opinion. His face locked down as soon as he saw the broken wax seal on the envelope and he was very still when he had finished reading. It was slightly unnerving but I knew he was just plotting and planning, I gladly gave him the time he needed. Rising from my seat I stroked his hair as I made my way towards to fridge. It had been several hours since I had last eaten and I knew my body needed fuel to keep me going. I really hadn't been looking after myself at all, despite the recent chastisements from both Eric and Dr Ludwig. I knew I was changing and I knew from my experiences around Weres that change used huge amounts of energy. So I could easily presume that my change would also require lots of fuel. Fuel I hadn't been getting due to my forgetful nature, with so much going on right now I missed having someone there to remind me about eating. Gran used to call me out on it all the time or she would just hand me a sandwich and give me a reproachful look. Maybe I needed a day companion or a roommate. Although a roommate wouldn't exactly be around all the time so a personal assistant come companion would be better. It would obviously have to be a Supe of some kind, someone who could protect themselves. I'd hate to have anyone die for me again. It was still heartbreaking to think of the sacrifice Claudine had made. A lone tear fell from my eye at the thought of my beautiful fairy Godmother. Brushing it away I got the fixings for a chicken sandwich out and poured myself a glass of sweet tea. Humming softly as I worked, I quickly sat back down at the table and proceeded to make a grocery list in between bites. The fridge was looking a bit bare and I had noticed I was getting low on coffee which wouldn't do at all.

Just as I got up to wash my plate, Eric's arm whipped out and grabbed my hand gently. Instantly looking down, my eyes met his and I couldn't help but beam at him.

"Between the two of us going off into a world of our own, well never get anything done." He chuckled softly at my words and pulled me down into his lap, where he proceeded to stroke my hair. Sinking into his embrace I snuggled in and let him sooth me once more.

"We need to make arrangements for leaving the house." He pushed me gently away to look me in the eye and his expression was serious. Trying to lighten the mood a bit, I kissed the tip of his nose and tried to get up. He quickly pulled me back down, clearly he wasn't finished.

"I think I know why we have been summoned by the Amun council, they want Louisiana and Arkansas back and whatever plan they have involves both of us."

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**Just a quick thank you to all those that alert, fav and review. Knowing that people are still interested makes me write faster.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: So sorry about not updating for so long. I got distracted by real life and it kind of fell by the wayside. I had the majority of this chapter written for a while, but I was sat at work and decided to see what I needed to add to finish it. I still can't work outhow it's 3000 and odd words in word but only 1650 words on here. It certainly all seems here. Oh well, enjoy.**

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Thirty minutes later we had a plan of action for getting to the meeting. It was a simple plan really, Eric would fly us to the border and then we'd rent a car and drive the rest of the way to the allotted meeting place. He'd said we wouldn't even meet the council face to face just have a teleconference with them. They never met face to face anymore, not since Rhodes. They had learnt the hard way never to have so many of them in one place regardless of any extra security precautions. I could totally understand why they would be nervous.

Standing in my closet trying to find something appropriate to wear, I heard the phone ring.

"Can you get that" I called to Eric, the ringing stopped and I could hear his deep voice answer and ask who was calling. Although my hearing was now almost as good as a vampire I still couldn't hear who it was from the other room. It didn't seem like Eric said anything else and a few moments later I heard him put the phone down and then I could feel his eyes on me.

"The Daemon wishes to speak to us. He will be arriving momentarily." He reached past me and pulled out a yellow sun dress. It was one of my favourites. It was embroidered with tiny crystals across the bust and had an empire waist; the skirt flowed out and finished just above the knee. It still fell under the heading of casual but a simple white shrug and heels brought it into smart casual. I caught a glimpse of Eric's thoughts and he thought it was the perfect thing to meet with the council. It hid her power well by giving off an air of innocence. It brought a smile to my face, Eric always plotting and planning, manipulating situations to his advantage.

I dressed quickly and came into the sitting room expecting Mr C to knock on the door at any moment. What I didn't expect was for him to appear on my sofa out of thin air. I was shocked to say the least. But I was proud of myself for not showing any outward signs. I was quickly getting a hold of my poker face and I'm sure I could rival a vamp.

A wicked smile flashed across the Daemons face as he read my thoughts, promoting me to redouble my shields to keep him out. This only caused him to grin wider and made Eric shift uncomfortably at our seemingly silent conversation. The movement was so out of character for my vampire, he was blocking me through the bond. I quickly turned to glare at him giving him his own silent communication to 'cut it out'.

The tension in the room began to dissipate and Mr. C cleared his throat so he could get down to business.

"I have been asked by Her Grace, to explain some things to you both before the meeting with the clan council." Looking at us both in turn to judge our reaction to his words, he continued with his explanation. "Her Grace has had a rather disturbing vision and feels it requires some intervention on her part. Although she didn't relay what the vision entailed she was deeply distressed by it and claimed it would affect us all if it came to pass. It clearly involved the two of you and the path you are about to set forth on." My eyes flicked straight to Eric's and he held my gaze for a few moments as we flashed caution and worry across the bond at each other. His eyes sparkled with mirth, I could only imagine that he was amused by the same thing I was. We were finally on the same wavelength in regard to showing all our cards.

"I can see this is not news to either of you. You do well to exercise caution in who you confide in, but I assure you I am not trying to cause harm for either of you. I offer my services to you now, take them if you will but I assure you I won't be offended if you do not."

"Vad ska vi göra?" [What should we do?]

"Vi behöver höra honom, bara då kan vi erbjuda vad vi vet" He replied coolly. [We need to hear him out, only then can we offer what we know.]

"Tell us the rest of the message and we will offer what we know if it is in our best interests." I answered the Daemon, if he could trust him fully he would be an excellent ally.

"As I said, Her Grace didn't tell me much about her vision but she wanted me to tell you a few things that are happening that will affect your immediate plans. When you fixed your blood bond issues, you caused a magical shockwave that crossed into several other realms as well as quite some way in this one. It drew the attention of quite a few supernatural beings and I'm afraid to say they are currently squatting in the woods surrounding Bon Temps. They cannot get onto your land nor can they detect your current location. They just know that you will appear at some point and while some are merely curious as to what you are to cause such a ripple of power, there are others that want to try to take you."

A low growl came from deep within Eric's chest. He didn't like the idea of me being taken one bit, but then again neither did I. I quickly put my hand on his chest and whispered, "Jag älskar dig, jag er som ni är mina. Ingen kan ta mig, de vet inte djupet av makt jag kan weild. Vara i fred min partner och låt oss höra vad han har att säga" My words soothed his beast within and I threw a look at Mr C to continue. [I love you; I am yours as you are mine. No one can take me, they do not know the depth of power I can wield. Be at peace my mate and let us hear what else he has to say]

"I can understand how this news is distressing for you vampire, she has already been taken once, but rest assured that they don't have the slightest idea what you are capable of. They are merely here because they are greedy and opportunistic. If you exercise caution in your departure, there is no reason why there shouldn't be an issue. Now tell me how you were planning to attend the meeting?"

"Eric is flying us out of the state so we can't be followed by those that watch us. Then we are going to rent a car and drive the rest of the way. But if what you say is true we may need to re think our exit, we could be easily followed by other creatures."

"Yes, I was just going to mention that. I can tell you now that several of those gathered have the ability to fly, you could be easily followed. Have you tried transporting yourself yet my dear?"

I hadn't thought of that, it seemed a good way to go even if I couldn't pop us to our destination; I could at least pop us to another location where we could stick to our original plan to fly and drive.

"Yes, Sookie has proven how useful it can be in our training sessions." Turning to me he added, "Do you think you could take me with you?"

"I don't see why not, the theory behind it is the same. It just requires more juice. where do you think would be a good place for me to take us?"

There was a short pause, while he thought of several locations that would be close enough to the state line, that weren't being watched by Nevada spies and that I had been to before. I watched with fascination as one after another were dismissed from his mind in a bizarre slide show of random places. Finally he came back to one several times and seemed to actively project it to me this time, while he quirked his eyebrow in a 'do you think you could do it' gesture. It was in the warehouse district of Shreveport, where Hallow and her coven were killed. That seemed like as good a place as any. I nodded to him and we moved on to the next topic.

"What else do we need to know before the meeting?" We needed to get this show on the road if we were going to make it in time, it was 8 o'clock now and it would take us an hour or two driving to the hotel. At least the meeting wouldn't start without us.

"You will be meeting with a few of the council face to face and of course her grace will be there too. She has things to discuss with you privately. The outcome of this meeting will change your lives indefinitely so you need to prepare for that."

My face remained blank which my mind tried to process what he had told us, the Pythoness wanted to speak to us and something great would be asked of us. Also after Eric had said we wouldn't see them face to face, it was shocking to know that we would see some of them. I could clearly feel Eric's shock through the bond, but it was soon overridden by a strong wave of steely determination.

"We appreciate the information you have brought us. But you will have to excuse us if we are to make it to the hotel in good time." He smiled at my dismissal, gave me a small wink and he was gone.

"Well I guess we better find some weapons if we may get ambushed. What's your pleasure?" I asked allowing my amusement to play on my face.

Using my summoning ability, I conjured myself two wicked looking daggers, one blade silver the other iron; each blade had one straight edge and one serrated. They were perfect; I could easily use them to my best advantage now my speed had increased. Strapping them both to my thighs, I thought about maybe a sword too. I remembered an old samurai movie I had seen one and thought a blade like that, lightweight and razor-sharp was a good choice but I wanted to run it past Eric first. I decided to try something new, so I tried flashing him with an image of the sword I thought might be good for me. I watched him carefully to see if he received the image. If I hadn't have been looking so closely I would have missed it, a slight twitch to the left corner of his mouth. I pushed the image harder and the twitch grew into a smirk.

"Yes Lover that would work for you. I'd like one of these and one of these." He flashed his own image back at me. A longish double-edged sword that looked rather heavy and a long knife that was razor-sharp and would probably be more of a sword for me but with his huge frame would be more like a dagger.

Summoning the power within, I visualised what we needed and closed my eyes to help focused my will into creating them. I felt my katana materialise in my out stretched hands, I felt the weight and balance of the sword and surprisingly I instinctively knew what to do with it. Next time I crossed over I seriously needed to thank my great-grandfather. The magic he used to speed up my remembering was coming in handy already and increasing my chances of survival in a fight with other Supes. I mean I could just blast them but being able to fight with weapons was a plus not to be sniffed at. I may not always be able to rely on my power. I'd seen enough movies and read enough books to know, those that solely relied on such things ended up dead or gravely injured. I didn't want to be that person. I wanted to be the kick ass person who everyone underestimated. Hmmm my new kick ass attitude needs a kick ass outfit. Black perhaps would be best for hiding blood splatter. I certainly didn't want to fight in a dress unless I had too.

I'd yet to try the neat trick I'd seen Claudine use in Merlotte's so long ago during the witch war, but I'd been dying to give it a go. So after handing Eric his weapons I began to focus on the ideal fighting outfit; soft black leather pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, I quickly found the necessary power within me to will it into being. With all the magic I was doing, I really expected to feel drained or something but so far so good, no ill effects or anything. It briefly crossed my mind that I should be feeling tired after all I hadn't been looking after myself and had passed out the other day. I hadn't really made any changes to my diet or schedule but I pushed it to the back of my mind while we dealt with more pressing matters. I have to remember to ask Eric if he had noticed a change in my energy levels, we may need to get the good doctor back to check me out.

I quickly strapped my daggers to my side and my sword harness across my back. Reaching out to take Eric's hand, he gave it a quick squeeze signalling he was ready and I popped us to the warehouse. It took just a bit more juice to pop someone else but I was fine expanding that bit extra. I looked at Eric to see how he fared on his first trip through the between, what I saw caused me to double over with laughter. I'd never seen a vampire look green but Eric looked like he was about to make his very first 'Curbside Pizza' as a vampire. He even took a few deep breaths and by the time his colour was improving he was glaring at me while I continued to let out the odd chuckle while making my face as straight as I could. Obviously teleporting a vampire made them lose their sense of humour.

I had briefly checked my surroundings when we had 'landed' but now I gave it a wide scan to check we were alone. Apart from a stray cat rustling near the trash cans, which I scrutinised carefully it was perfectly clear and the next stage of our plan was a go. I had left my guard down while I scanned the area and Eric followed my progress so when I smiled at him he quickly picked me up and launched us into the sky speeding towards the state line. Twenty minutes later we were landing in the parking lot of a little rental place not far from the border. Eric silently handed me his weapons while he headed into the small office to make arrangements for a hire car. Sticking to the shadows I continued to scan the area and not long after, Eric came out with a set of keys and led me over to a black SUV. After putting the weapons on the floor in back, we sped off into the night and the meeting that awaited us.

Pulling up to the hotel entrance we were greeted by the valet who quickly slipped into the car and drove it away. I'd been working on a bit of magic on the drive over and I had managed to not only change my clothes back to my pretty dress, I'd cloaked our weapons so we could keep them with us and not start a wide spread panic amongst the humans. I had been particular pleased with myself and the wave of pride I felt flow from my vampire was a huge ego booster.

After a brief discussion with the receptionist we made our way to the bank of elevators and the conference room on the second floor. The ride up was silent. We knew this was going to change everything for us but what else could we say about it. The trepidation I felt was mirrored in the bond, but there was no need to voice our concerns to each other or anyone listening. After all you never knew if your surroundings were bugged or not, best to err on the side of caution.

The conference room was clearly marked by two huge mountains of muscle standing either side of the door. Mountain A, remained still staring straight ahead, while mountain B, opened the door for us and nodded as we passed him. Eric nodded back and re took my hand as we stood by the door. I could tell he was marking exits and possible threats, the cautious warrior in him would always remain vigilant. Taking in my surroundings, we were in a typical conference room. A big table in the centre of the room surrounded by many chairs and completely empty. But before I could ask Eric where the council was, a door at the far side of the room opened and several vampires came out, followed by the Ancient Pythoness and her attendants. They quickly filed into the seats on the opposite side of the table and a male vampire invited us to sit with a flick of his hand.

When everyone was situated, we waited patiently for someone to say something. Etticate dictates you do not address the council; Eric had given me a quick rundown of do's and don'ts on the drive over here. So I kept my lips firmly together and pushed down the barrage of questions I had. We didn't have to wait long; in a croaking voice the Ancient One addressed us,

"We are glad that you made it to this summons, it is not often anyone is brought before the council but we felt the need in this instant. The tides are turning and if we don't act soon all will be lost."

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**A/N: Again really sorry about making you wait but I'm not sure when I'll be posting again. My life is a bit of a mess right now. I got promoted at work, my little girl has started the terrible twos and my boyfriend of 10 years decided it was time to propose. So now I have a wedding to plan on top of everything else. **

**As always let me know what you think or if I should even continue this story at all.**


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